How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"How did this happen?" Seth asked. "Somebody transformed you?"
The chicken bobbed her head. (13.44-45)
Grandma-in-chicken-form finally gets a message through to the kids, but since she can't talk, they (and we) don't learn how she was transformed into a chicken, just that it happened. Even when she's returned to human form later on, she doesn't go into the details. It must be embarrassing to be transformed into a chicken against your will. Bok bok bok…
Quote #5
The fun-house Muriel began to ripple, as did the startling image of Goldilocks shedding feathers as she expanded into a person. The scene grew dim, as if clouds had blocked the sun, and a dark aura gathered around Muriel and Grandma. (13.165)
This whole magical-transformation business is pretty freaky, and when the kids bring Grandma-as-chicken to Muriel in order to have her undo the spell, everything becomes visually distorted. It works though, since the kids get Grandma back in human shape. But of course there's a price to pay: Muriel's freedom, which turns out to be bad news for everyone.
Quote #6
A fairy with raven black hair and bumblebee wings approached the bowl. Mimicking Kendra, she dipped a finger and tasted it. In a whirling shower of sparks the fairy grew to nearly six feet tall. (18.38)
Whoa—by this point in the story we know that fairies have the potential to fall and become imps, but that involves remaining roughly the same size. We don't have a clue that fairies can grow to be six feet tall until this moment. The transformation is temporary (which is probably a good thing—a six-foot-tall fairy could be a nuisance), but it's still pretty surprising.