Beck Beyond the Sea is a Disney Fairies chapter book published by Random House. It was published alongside Tink, North of Never Land.
Appearances[]
Characters:
- Fairies: Beck, Vidia, Spinner
- Animals: Mother Dove
Story[]
One day Beck meets a friendly boar in the woods who tells her he is on his way to the western end of the Never Land forest where truffles taste like clouds dipped in joy, a place she has never seen. The boar invites her to come with him, but she explains that the Pixie Dust she is allowed (one cup per day) would not take her that far. Without it she would not be able to fly. A flock of Explorer Birds happens to fly in for a brief visit and asks to eat some berries. The restless flock soon takes to the air. Instead of trying to imagine the size of the world from the boar's description, Beck takes after the flock but soon returns as her wings are too short to keep up with them.
She makes two separate attempts to join the birds, but both fail. Ultimately, she is given some special dust by an unusually-kind Vidia (who normally has nothing but unpleasant things to say), allowing her to join this flock of "Explorer Birds". Beck feels guilty about using dust that comes from the painful plucking of Mother Dove, but curiosity gets the better of her, and so off she flies.
After numerous adventures (some of which prove that Spinner, a tall-tale-telling talent, had spoken the truth about his discoveries) and making some new friends, Beck is stricken by a telepathic message from Mother Dove, begging for her help. Beck makes a desperate return to Pixie Hollow, but discovers that the bag of special dust was only half-full- gravel filled the rest! She is rescued from certain death (falling into the ocean) by a seagull who was warned by the Explorer Birds, and then rides both a rabbit then a fox in order to get home.
Beck discovers that Mother Dove has been plucked twice, and nobody knows how, as the Scouts have been guarding her. However, a now-experienced, savvy Beck realizes that Vidia has been climbing through the tunnels beneath Pixie Hollow, and catches Vidia in the act. Vidia blames Beck for the plucking, and many observing fairies start to believe her (as Beck had been spending numerous attempts trying to get faster and join the birds), but Beck finally shows self-confidence and fire, denying the act. Her bird friends (many birds had been communicating with each other following Beck's joining the flock of Explorers) then arrive, and Vidia is finally proven to be the culprit.
Vidia is punished by being grounded- literally- for two weeks, while Beck and Spinner enjoy each other's company, regarding his supposedly "tall tales".
Trivia[]
- This is the only chapter book in the entire series to make use of Mother Dove (a major character in the first book, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg), show her in a drawing, and have her speak. Some of the other books mentioned her, but none of them used her or had her say anything, despite Beck, her caretaker, being an important part of the series. Here, she is even an important part of the story.
- It is also one of the few chapter books to show outright villainy from Vidia. While it was common for the early stories to feature snide remarks from the fast-flying-talent, who was known to be disingenuous and rude, she was rarely as cruel as she was here. Vidia's entire plan would have left Beck stranded miles from home (in fact, she would have died had a bird not saved her), and leave Mother Dove the victim of numerous plucking attempts. Vidia even plucked her twice and tried to blame Beck for the act.
- The book also features Beck using telepathic contact with an animal, which was an extremely rare feat, but treated as a more casual thing. This does not appear in other stories featuring Beck, even when it could have proven handy.
Gallery[]
