AMELIA SPARKLE AND THE BIG BAD WOLF

In Ubba’s children’s chapter book, a brave little fairy-godmother-in-training encounters a wolf and finds her true calling.

Twinklevale is a fairy land where “magic falls from the sky like stardust” and every inhabitant is gifted with a special ability. In this charming first installment of the author’s series, little Amelia Sparkle is trying to live up to tradition: All of the fairy godmothers in her family are “perfect in every way.” Unfortunately, Amelia has yet to achieve perfection, despite the fairy-godmother skills she’s learning at the Sparkle Academy for Enchanted Excellence. She certainly didn’t intentionally wave her wand to change the color of a grumpy neighbor’s goldfish, and she didn’t mean to fill up her school with bubbles. It washer ill-timed sneeze, however, that resulted in the sudden appearance of a big, bad wolf that’s now marauding through town. With child-friendly humor, a well-paced narrative, and downright adorable illustrations, the book draws readers into the little protagonist’s magical dilemma. The uncredited illustrations depict decorative embellishments (stars, sparkles, and curlicues), gingerbread buildings, bunnies, rainbow ponies, soft pastels, and rosy-cheeked Amelia herself. Amelia’s first thought is to seek help from the Twinklevale Gallant Guardians, but none can be found (one has gone shopping; another is out of town “visiting his sick auntie”). Amelia’s sparkly wings and tiny tiara can’t be mistaken for a Guardian’s “cool cape” and “heroic helmet,” but she’s determined to face the consequences of her faulty wand-work. With the wolf running wild, nibbling a gingerbread house, eating every pie in the pumpkin pie patch, and slobbering all over cinnamon stick signposts, she has no time to lose. (Amelia’s unexpected confrontation with the wolf is enhanced by an illustration sure to elicit an empathetic reaction from readers.) Amelia learns that she’s capable of being more than she ever thought possible, and the book draws to a clever conclusion with an endearing twist.

An appealing series starter with a message about self-empowerment wrapped in fairy-tale sweetness.