The 2003 UK cover
Ruby the Red Fairy is the first book in the Rainbow Magic series. It was released on May 29th, 2003.
A young girl named Rachel Walker is on a vacation to Rainspell Island with her parents. When it starts to rain on the trip there, a giant rainbow appears, and under this rainbow, Rachel meets a girl her age named Kirsty Tate, who she becomes friends with.
While exploring the island, Rachel and Kirsty find a literal pot at the end of the rainbow, and inside is Ruby, the Red Rainbow Fairy, who explains that her sisters have all gone missing. From there, Rachel and Kirsty are recruited by the King and Queen of Fairyland to find the missing Rainbow Fairies and restore the colour to the world.
Tropes:
- Evil Is Petty: The plot starts because Jack Frost wasn't invited to the Midsummer Ball, and despite being welcome to stay, he still sends the Rainbow Fairies far away from Fairyland to drain the world of colour.
- Ms. Imagination: Kirsty believes in mermaids, and suggests that some seaweed floating in the ocean is a mermaid's necklace, which she lost while fighting a sea monster.
- Origins Episode: This book shows how Rachel and Kirsty became friends, and how they got their ties to Fairyland.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: While Rachel the blue oni heads inside to avoid the rain, red oni Kirsty stays out and gets drenched just to watch the rainbow.
