An often delightful series starter in an unusual setting, with educational moments and appealing illustrations.
A charming chapter book for young readers about four fairy friends who must work together and use special powers to save a stranded arctic fox pup.
North Everstar and her fellow fairies Lucy Dawn, Willow Brightfrost, and Charm Iceglade are recruited to join the Frost Wings, a team that aims to protect the animals of the arctic tundra. Their positions come with superpowers, bestowed upon them by the Arctic Fairy Queen, which are unique to their individual personalities. For example, Lucy receives the power of healing, due to her love of taking care of animals, and Charm receives magical mending thread, because she has a talent for crafting things. The fairies support one another, work through their emotions, and overcome obstacles as a team throughout the rescue, providing an engaging narrative with a good message for children. Their mission to save the adorable young arctic fox, Pounce, takes them out onto an ice floe in the ocean, leads to a close encounter with a polar bear, and requires them to outwit Blaze, a mean rival fairy. The simple prose is well suited for a young chapter-book audience and communicates the fairies’ emotions accessibly and authentically. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations throughout enhance the text, bringing the arctic landscape and creatures to life. Willow is portrayed as Black and Charm appears to have brown skin; North and other characters are portrayed with pale skin. One unexplained element is that although it's established that the fairies feel cold, the illustrations only depict them as wearing summery, short-sleeved clothing instead of weather-appropriate outfits. The book also includes a few pages of fun facts about arctic animals at the end, which bolsters the story’s descriptions of the environment.
An often delightful series starter in an unusual setting, with educational moments and appealing illustrations.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781960834010
Page Count: 101
Publisher: Snowdrop Books
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre.
In the latest installment of the delightfully disturbing chapter-book series, the mundane once more takes on supernatural qualities, this time in the form of veggies.
With this follow-up to Troubling Tonsils! (2025), our host, Jasper Rabbit, once more channels Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. As Jasper narrates, we meet our heroes: fourth graders Thaddeus Badger and Oliver Possum, who love nothing more than eating junk food, particularly the hamburgers at Hurt-A-Burger (a mildly brilliant corporate name on the author’s part). When Oliver’s parents trick the two into a dinner of salads at their favorite fast-food joint, Thaddeus feels betrayed, but Oliver experiences something a little more dire. Soon after, Oliver starts acting strangely, and his parents begin behaving even more oddly. What’s going on? And does it have anything to do with the full moon? Tone is the true star of the show in this series; the mystery unspools thanks to the buildup of unnerving moments. Reynolds combines suspense with a keen ability to artistically frame both sunny innocent sequences and those rich with dark foreboding. Notably, this is no morality tale about eating your vegetables—this tale is fully on the side of its child readers. Brown’s black-and-white images, punctuated with eerie pops of green, heighten both horrifying and comedic moments.
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961110
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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