An entertaining behind-the-scenes look at tooth fairies.
In this debut chapter book, a tooth fairy intends to be the best collector ever.
In Brushelot, Batina’s oversized fairy wings sometimes make her clumsy, but she’s determined they won’t get in her way on her first day on the job as a tooth collector. Batina joins her friends Lainey and Lulu to get their assignments. One fairy, Jolene, didn’t study and failed the collector tests; she’s a bully who wears toothpicks in her hair. Collection goes well, but the teeth must be inspected, because only well-brushed ones can be transformed into fairy dust—without it, the enchanted beings can’t fly. First, Batina almost loses her tooth in the Inspection Department. Then the conveyor belt to the Manufacturing Department gets stuck (a toothpick is found in the works) and, finally, the Super-Duper Magic Dust-Making Machine won’t start. But teamwork and determination, with Batina in the lead, solve these problems, and even Jolene helps out—her toothpick making a vital link in the fairy chain of power that restarts the Dust-Making Machine. Batina’s perseverance is recognized at that night’s ceremony, and she credits her friends, even thanking Jolene, for the roles they played. Jolene apologizes for sabotaging the conveyor belt, and all are friends now. In her book for kids ages 5 to 9, Ditto underlines the importance of well-brushed teeth from a tooth fairy’s point of view, an intriguing choice since children are generally more interested in what the collector leaves under their pillows. The book is less about good dental hygiene and more about the virtues of teamwork, persistence, friendship, and honesty. But the morals are lightened by the story’s humor and charm; Jolene’s perverse use of toothpicks (not recommended by dentists) is a great touch, making her reformation almost a shame. The colorful illustrations by Utomo (Mayanito’s New Friends, 2017, etc.) skillfully capture this magical world, from gauzy wings to metal contraptions. The characters are depicted with a wide range of expressions, although all appear to be white.
An entertaining behind-the-scenes look at tooth fairies.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9967559-1-7
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Ditto Enterprises
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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