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
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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