A fun series installment that’s less focused on dental hygiene and more on magical hijinks.
Tooth fairies discover an unusual creature as they’re prepping for a talent show in this illustrated children’s book, the third in a series.
When kids put baby teeth under their pillows, Tooth Collectors from the land of Brushelot gather them up to make fairy dust, which enables them to fly. Only well-brushed teeth make the grade. In two previous installments, Batina and her fellow newbies learned their jobs and helped a friend who was banished to Decay Valley. Now it’s time for the annual Tooth Fairy Day Celebration, which includes a talent show. Batina and her friends hope to win first place with their pompom cheer, but first, they come across a small, scared rainbow-colored animal called a caticorn. Until her mother can be found, they name the caticorn Enamelina and take care of her—discovering she’s something of a handful, however adorable. Her shenanigans jeopardize the team’s performance. One fairy sprains her ankle and can’t compete; meanwhile, other contestants are delayed by weather. The cheer and dance teams combine as the Brushelot Pompom Brigade. Enamelina joins in, surprising everyone with a special talent, and the story ends on a heartwarming note. In her third chapter book, Ditto explores the social world of Brushelot. The story teaches a gentle lesson about the real responsibilities of having a pet. The fairies also demonstrate good problem-solving skills by pivoting with the reformed performance team. Luckily, Enamelina’s mischief provides entertaining plot obstacles, and there’s plenty of fairy-dust magic, celebration, and friendship. Utomo, who illustrated the previous books, again provides enjoyably whimsical, pastel digital images that depict racially diverse fairies.
A fun series installment that’s less focused on dental hygiene and more on magical hijinks.Pub Date: May 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73-733810-9
Page Count: 84
Publisher: Ditto Enterprises
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fiber artists beware! Unnerving artistry and reality TV mix and meld in this fantastic cautionary tale.
Obsession claims an unlikely victim when a young mole gives absolutely everything for a chance at glitz and glory.
Nine-year-old Winona Mole is passionate about crocheting. Her favorite television program is an Is It Cake?–like show called Yarn Is Everything!, in which contestants create realistic replicas of objects through stitch alone. After a trip to a woolen arts museum, Winona sees the mysterious Spirit Hook, rumored to bestow powers “upon those willing to pay the price.” Later, Winona finds a seeming replica of that same crochet hook in her bag. Suddenly, her skills accelerate fantastically. Yet when she gets a chance to compete on Yarn Is Everything!, what starts as a passion turns into something darker. Reynolds walks that thin line between kid-appropriate and chilling with an aplomb worthy of his Twilight Zone influences. Winona’s descent into unhealthy fixation is matched by Brown’s telltale yarn fragments, trailing eerily from objects that should not be yarn-based. Crafters may find it odd that Reynolds opted for crocheting, not the more common knitting, as Winona’s métier. Even so, this lends the usual homey arts an effective creepiness, even as the increasing ridiculousness of the crocheted objects makes it sublimely silly as well.
Fiber artists beware! Unnerving artistry and reality TV mix and meld in this fantastic cautionary tale. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961141
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
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