A BOY IN THE FAIRY WORLD

A mortal finds himself stuck in fairy territory.

Oona Bramblegoop, the awkward but endearing protagonist of Newbie Fairy (2024), has a challenging new job: helping clumsy kids in need of magic underpants that prevent falls and other mishaps. One fateful night, the young fairy answers an emergency call; a boy named Marco needs assistance. But it turns out he’s set a trap for Oona. In a mad scramble back to the fairy world, Oona ends up hauling Marco along—an offense sure to land her in trouble with the fairy council. She conceals a now-fairy-sized Marco, a hollow reed snorkel in his mouth, under the waters of Blackberry Bog and then renders him imperceptible with a combination of magical underpants and invisibility slime provided by her cousin Horace’s slugs. But soon, Oona and friends must face their bosses’ wrath and figure out how to send Marco home. This second installment of Bramblegoopian misadventures is filled with delightfully off-kilter schemes, set in a world that blends the quirky with the cute. Flowery, slug-speckled illustrations and footnotes with facts about the fairy world enhance the upbeat narrative and leave Oona poised to play detective in what promises to be an equally humorous third outing. Hairstyles and skin shading imply some racial diversity in the grayish-blue-toned artwork.

Fun, funky, and imaginative.