Character Analysis
When Kendra and Seth drink the milk, they're able to see that the butterflies and other insects that cluster in the gardens are actually fairies. And just like people, they're a pretty diverse bunch. Check it out:
Some looked Asian, some Indian, some African, some European. Several were less comparable to mortal woman, with blue skin or emerald green hair. A few had antennae. Their wings came in all varieties, mostly patterned after butterflies, but much more elegantly shaped and radiantly colored. All the fairies gleamed brilliantly, outshining the flowers of the garden like the sun outshines the moon. (5.99)
Even within this diversity, though, there's even more variation when it comes to how individual fairies look. When Maddox brings out some of his specimens to display, "Three of the fairies had elaborate butterfly wings with the appearance of stained glass. Another had oily black wings. The last had furry wings, and her body was coated with pale blue fuzz" (6.136). These fairies sound almost like snowflakes—no two are exactly alike.
According to Grandpa, "Fairies are vain, selfish creatures" (5.162) who love compliments (when they let mortals see them in the first place) and spend as much time gazing in mirrors as possible. Despite their admiration for their individuality though, "While under confinement they become fairly docile and obedient […] Put them in a livable environment and they stay put" (6.142-144). Interesting wildlife patterns there. We wonder what the Discovery Channel's take on them would be.
When Grandpa blows bubbles outdoors one evening, the fairies magically turn them different colors: "The hues became more luminous as the fairies competed against one another. Bubbles ruptured with flashes of light" (7.142). With entertainment like this, we wouldn't mind not having a television either.
Despite all their beauty and the cool tricks they can perform though, it's important to remember that fairies can be super vengeful. So when Seth accidentally transforms a captured fairy into an imp, the fairies gang up on him to turn him into a mutant-walrus-creature. They refuse to take any mercy on him despite Grandpa's pleas, and despite the fact that he's just a kid.