An imaginative but convoluted tooth-fairy origin tale with some plot points in need of streamlining.
Where did the first tooth fairy come from? (Hint: Squirrels play a major role.)
In this debut children’s fantasy, the rather complicated history of the tooth fairy begins when forest squirrels come to a fairy village for help after waking up to find themselves wrapped in spider webs and missing their teeth. The fairies soon learn why. Notorious bad fairy Redanthan Trench took the teeth as a warning to the fairies that Giants (humans) are going to cut down the forest. Backed by Olcas, the wise old fairy chief, Trench demands that his cohorts join him in taking action to stop the Giants. But this crisis takes a back seat for the rest of the novel as shy fairy Adriana figures out how to replace the squirrels’ teeth using the magically transformed, discarded teeth of human children. Along the way, Adriana encounters a hungry fox, thwarts evildoing by Trench’s sidekick, enters into an unexpected friendship with a human girl, and finds a fairy elder with convenient expertise in turning fairy dust into coins for tooth exchanges. In this series opener, McQuaid (Adriana’s Plight, 2018) weaves in a bit of dental information for readers, too: Adriana learns that humans clean their teeth “with a special brush and some stringy stuff at least two times every day” and that losing a tooth can be scary for children. Some plot elements are a stretch even in a fantasy setting. Trench’s theft of squirrel teeth to warn of the forest threat is baffling. (And couldn’t he simply steal the squirrels’ new teeth, too?) The revelation of Olcas’ true nature is too abrupt for credibility, and the fate of the forest, the catalyst for the whole tale, comes up only intermittently. By the end of the story, it has become at best a loose end. But Adriana herself has authentic appeal. The strength of this book for grade-school readers is found in her discovery, observed in the first-person narration of her unnamed best friend, that she is both resourceful and courageous. Camisa’s (Adriana’s Plight, 2018) fine-lined pen-and-ink illustrations add overall charm.
An imaginative but convoluted tooth-fairy origin tale with some plot points in need of streamlining.Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5408-5650-0
Page Count: 54
Publisher: Kayelem Publishing LLC
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Beautiful, remarkable, amazing, and wonderful in every way.
Hector wants to be a deep-sea diver, just like his father and grandfather.
He has internalized all his grandfather’s tales, especially the story of the “rarest, whitest, and purist pearl in the world,” said to live on the seabed offshore near the Marina, their family business. But the greedy Amedeo Limonta has set up a competitive business that’s forced the Marina to close. When Hector turns 8, everything changes. On his very first dive, he discovers the magical Pearl and brings it home…and complications ensue. Hector heeds his memories and dreams of his grandfather and courageously makes it all right. Hector narrates his adventures in meticulously organized chapters, carefully introducing each character, providing detailed information about relationships and events, and sharing credit for his successes. At the conclusion Hector presents readers with vivid descriptions of his beloved village and its inhabitants. Sabatinelli provides Hector with a voice that soars with lilting, expressive language, losing nothing in Turner’s translation from Italian. Bruno’s intensely bright, sharply hued illustrations are a tour de force. A chart of semaphore flags and diagrams that detail the parts of a diving suit fill the opening pages, and those flags head each chapter. The sea is evoked with glorious dreamlike color and movement, and characters’ features and expressions immediately announce their nature, emotions, and quirks. All present White. Hector is wise, kind, and readers will take him to their hearts.
Beautiful, remarkable, amazing, and wonderful in every way. (Adventure. 6-12)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63655-006-0
Page Count: 92
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
