THE MINUTE MINDERS

Stevie Clipper and her dad are fidders, tiny creatures living among and helping humans, who are unaware of their existence.

Fidders look like people, and have their own tiny homes, schools, and shops, nestled unseen within human communities. They follow intricate rules; most importantly, only trained fidders may communicate with humans. Dad isn’t a fan of rules and regulations, and Stevie often helps him out with his assignments, earning him reprimands. Now on his final warning, Dad must redeem himself by taking on a challenging Minute Minder case involving Sandra May Bee, a girl who’s struggling to adjust to life in a new city with her aunt after her family faces financial difficulties. Stevie helps engineer a friendship for Sandra May with Charlie Tobin; coincidentally, Dad is given an Art Department assignment to help Charlie write a poem. Stevie even dares to communicate with Sandra May, under the guise of being her imaginary friend. Stevie speaks directly to readers, employing wonderfully descriptive language about her life and the many unusual characters she encounters—and she occasionally even shares a “Vitally Important Point.” In Irish picture-book author/illustrator Murphy’s debut novel, Stevie is a sympathetic protagonist who will win readers over. Many (sometimes hilarious) twists and turns lead to the surprising conclusion, and the soft black-and-white artwork adds to the story’s charm. In this racially diverse world, Stevie, her dad, and Sandra May have dark skin, and Charlie appears white.

A marvelously well-developed fantasy.