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Junkyard Fairies (series)

Aug10
Junkyard Fairies (series)

Junkyard Fairies (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junkyard Fairies (series)

Dig Deep

9781760657048

Set Sail

9781760657413

Fight Frost

9781760657420

Edwina Wyatt

Lauren O’Hara

Walker Books, 2024-2025

200+pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

In a chipped, china teapot at the bottom of the junkyard live three fairies – Fir, Tip and Nug. The junkyard had once been a picture-book forest where deer rested and birds nested, quiet and peaceful as fairy folk cam to drink the cool river water and bathe in the warm springs. But what began as an old piano dumped by someone soon became the resting place of many more unwanted things until the trees were chopped down, the river turned brown and the earth turned to dust.  The magic turned to rust and the music stopped.

Even though new trees eventually pushed their way through the junk and other fairies moved in, the newcomers were unlike their predecessors – they were tough and wily, suspicious and shrewd, noisy, messy, bossy, argumentative but on the whole, happy…

But, with the help of Burp, a toad who lives in a bathtub nearby, a sleeping giant and a monstrous caterpillar, the junkyard fairies can find a way to fix just about anything and have lots of adventures in this new series for younger readers ready to cope with longer novels.  With helpful introductions to the main characters and standalone chapters that offer that little bit of support they still need, Fir, Tip and Nug have to face a range of problems and complex relationships that might reflect the lives of the readers. Each chapter begins by asking the reader a question that directly relates to its focus so they are immediately engaged and invested in what is to come.  While they will relate to being grumpy when they’re hungry, some might even envy them not having to eat their vegetables… But when their home is destroyed by humans, and they have to find another things get a bit more serious and the premise for the subsequent episodes is established, 

It’s different, it’s whimsical, it has a gentle underlying message about conservation and recycling and upcycling, and it reminded me a little of S. A. Wakefield’s classic Bottersnikes and Gumbles  and probably as far as you can get from the traditional image of glittery, magic-spreading fairies.

Certainly not the world my grandies grew up in…

The Secret Fairy Club

Jun9
The Secret Fairy Club

The Secret Fairy Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Fairy Club

Emma Roberts

Raahat Kadjuli & Mira Miroslavova

Magic Cat, 2023

24pp., hbk., RRP $A35.00

9781915569059

One on my earliest childhood memories is my grandmother sharing Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies with me, as I lay in her big double bed face swollen with the mumps and beyond miserable.  Living in Bluff where the next stop is Antarctica, as the waves crashed across the road but the room was warm as because there was a fire in the hearth (it was a long time ago) she read the poems from the book that she had given my mum when she was a child and which I still treasure.

So it is no surprise that despite (or because of) being the only girl growing up amongst eight boys (seven of them were cousins) I grew up in a world of fantasy and fairyland; that my favourite authors were Enid Blyton, Peg Maltby, Shirley Barber, and, of course, Barker herself; and that as soon as I knew I was having a granddaughter, the nursery and later, bedroom, were always going to be a wonderland, shelves full of classic and modern fairy books! Not to mention my obsession with buying Flower Fairy fabric!

My granddaughters were always going to dwell in Fairyland...

My granddaughters were always going to dwell in Fairyland…

And so I was the perfect person to answer the first question in this magical book – A very special society is looking for new recruits to join their number.  I don’t suppose you’d be interested, would you? They don’t say anything about an age limit – just adopt a fairy name (Barbara Freesia) and then read the information about fairies in the book,  and collect the badges as I go, then after reciting the ancient oath, find the secret surprise at the end!  What could be better for someone who is still that little girl with mumps – or any little one you know who believes?

This is a companion to The Secret Unicorn Club, and is just as enchanting.  Its presentation follows a similar format as readers learn about where fairies are found, where they live, what they wear, how they help to protect their world, and culminating in the Fairy Queen’s Ball. Information is in manageable chunks and there are plenty of illustrations to pore over. It even has its own secret book hidden away, a story within a story.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Usually my review copies go to local schools but this one will be on that shelf of special books, right beside that one my grandma read to me and The Sun’s Babies, a 1910 publication that she, herself, grew up with. Perhaps my granddaughters will value them as much as I do.  

The Sun's Babies = Edith Howe & frank Watkins, Cassell & Co 1910

The Sun’s Babies – Edith Howe & frank Watkins, Cassell & Co 1910

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t)

Mar18
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn't)

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t)

Briony Stewart

Lothian, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780734421883 

Every single minute, of every single day, a child somewhere loses a baby tooth. And, if you counted every child in the world then that means they are losing 200 teeth a minute. Multiply that by the number of minutes in an hour, hours in a day and you can work out how many teeth that are lost every day!

But what happens to all those teeth?

Little ones will tell you that they are collected by the Tooth Fairy, as real to them as Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny. But as they get a little older, kids get curious and start to ask questions like  “How do they know you have lost a tooth? What do they do with the teeth? What happens if I swallow it before they get here?” and a whole range of others that only a child could think of and which a grownup might need help answering.

So, here, in this straight-forward, Q & A book are not only the answers but a golden opportunity for the child to learn that sometimes parents don’t have all the answers but together they can find out by looking in a book.  Even the trickiest questions such as why do some kids get more money than others is addressed in a way that they will understand yet doesn’t put the parent on the spot or make anyone feel awkward.  A mother herself, Briony Stewart has used her imagination to create a magical world where tooth fairies need and use the teeth, even the damaged ones, in their daily life that will win over the most cynical child.  She provides plausible explanations that address all the traditions and myths of the fairy’s visit, while adding more information that continues the magic and mystery for a little longer.

This thoroughly deserves to be nominated as a 2025 CBCA Notable Book of the Year for Early Childhood – it has great potential to teach more than just about the Tooth Fairy, including dental hygiene, and maybe stray into the world of The Mightiest Bite.

Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble

Nov28
Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble

Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble

Briony May Smith

Walker Books, 2024

48pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781529526806

Mr and Mrs Wren are surprised when a tiny, wingless fairy hatches from one of their eggs. But they lovingly name her Tiny Jenny and decide to raise her as their own, along with Min and Dru.  But the other birds are not happy – for the fairies in this wood are known to be mischievous and mean and, in time, Tiny Jenny seems to be just like them, for all that she has no wings. 

She digs up squirrel nuts and blocks mole hills and torments Hedgehog.  When she hears the other creatures complaining about her to Mr and Mrs Wren,  Tiny Jenny decides it is time to leave her home and seek out her fairy family. But it turns out the fairies are anything but welcoming, and before Queen Merletta is willing to give her wings, Tiny Jenny must prove herself him the fairy parade…  But this is not a beautiful procession that the reader might expect.  No, it is a cruel raid in the woods, where things were smashed and stolen and Mr and Mrs Wren’s own nest is threatened…

Tiny Jenny finds herself caught in the middle – does she protect those who have nurtured her or does she do what it takes to get those precious wings? Where does she belong? What is the difference between playful mischief and deliberate bad behaviour?

Although this is a somewhat wordy story that destroys many of the beliefs that young readers may have had about fairies, nevertheless, the illustrations alone will take them and their imaginations deep into the undergrowth of the woods where everyone knows little creatures dwell and unseen magic happens, providing the perfect setting for making up their own stories.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

This would be an excellent story to use as a springboard for an investigation into stereotypes. preconceptions and prejudice. Present it with the cover wrapped in brown paper and have students draw their image of a fairy as well as some descriptors and then compare those to Smith’s depiction.  As you share the story, talk about whether Tiny Jenny is naughty as she grows more independent, and then once she discovers the fairy family, pause and have them predict what will happen based on the fairy stories they have read.  Then, having finished the story, discuss how their preconceptions were challenged and extend this into the real world… Build on the elements of text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world to show how stories, even those about fantasy creatures such as fairies, can have a real place in teaching us about ourselves  and our worlds, as well as how authors use fantasy characters to hold a mirror to our lives. 

Much more to this one than meets the eye… and worth seeking out the author’s other stories Mermaid Moon  and Margaret’s Unicorn.

 

 

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

Oct24

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

Bob Graham

Walker Books, 2024

40pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781529523447

When their Tooth Fairy parents are called away on an urgent job  – a molar pickup on Main Street – April and Esme and their baby brother Vincent are left with their grandparents for a sleepover. in their little teapot house, nestled under the flight path of a large city airport.  The children love it there where they are doted on by their grandparents and do all sorts of special things like making fairy cakes and tasting leftover chocolate and using the punching bag to keep in shape. 

But when another urgent job comes in, it’s up to Grandma and April and Esme to try to find Akuba, a little girl in a red coat just arrived from Ghana. Will they find her amidst all the busyness and turmoil of the airport terminal? And will they be able to find the tooth and leave payment without her knowing they have been there?

A thoroughly modern interpretation of an age-old story, Bob Graham continues the tradition of the Tooth Fairy for today’s youngest readers. His distinctive illustrations reinforce the belief in all things magical, including cupids and angels, with references to mobile phones, and other modern conveniences.  But through it all, Grandad’s devotion to baby Vincent and Esme’s gift to her grandma, show that while some things change, the fundamentals stay the same.  A charming story that will reconnect children to past traditions. 

The Daredevil Princess (series)

Aug22
The Daredevil Princess (series)

The Daredevil Princess (series)

The Daredevil Princess (series)

Golden Unicorn

9781761340437

Goblin King

9781761340451

Fire Dragon

9781761340468

Grumpy Giant

9781761340475

Belinda Murrell

Rebecca Crane

Puffin, 2024

144pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Mathilda Amalia Charlotte Adelaide Rose – known to all as Tillie except for Mr Grimm the pompous stickler-for-manners royal steward – lived a relaxed life with her parents, Queen Cordelia who ruled the queendom of Blumenfeld, King Edwin her absent-minded inventor father and Prince Oskar, her younger brother, a would-be, swashbuckling knight. 

When she discovers that the royal roses are being eaten by a sassy unicorn called Honey Blossom, they form a friendship that has seen them encounter goblins, dragons and, in the latest, a grumpy giant disturbed from his sleep helping to solve problems, soothe feelings and keep the peace while still remaining compassionate tempered with a bit of her own  feistiness and independence.

Belinda Murrell who gave a previous wave of newly independent readers the wonderful Lulu Bell series, has created a new collection for the next generation of young girls who are consolidating their skills, this time building on that recurring dream of being a princess, but being bold and brave and independent and encouraged to do so despite the presence of Mr Grimm and Miss Prim. With all the supports that these emerging readers need including short chapters, larger font, and a few strategic illustrations, this series is one that will have wide appeal, not the least because there is no long wait between episodes. 

For those who are viewing the current CBCA Book Week theme of Reading is Magic through a fantasy lens, this is an ideal introduction to that genre with its traditional fantasy characters  maybe even encouraging them to imagine themselves as Princess Tillie and create their own adventure with someone or something from the imaginary world or perhaps developing a visual glossary of them to be shared with others venturing into that realm.  Research, reading for purpose, creating information… reading is, indeed, magic.  

 

The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

Jun4
The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters (series)

The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

Karen Foxlee

Freda Chiu

Allen & Unwin, 2024

288pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781761470226

Although a rather anxious child who prefers  to make lists so she can plan and manage her life because she doesn’t cope with change well, nevertheless Mary-Kate Martin has left the sanctuary of her grandmother’s home to travel the world with her mother whose life is spent on mystery-solving adventures such as why the Woolington Wyrm was causing such destruction in a quiet English village, and an equally strange creature was bothering Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island. 

In this third episode of this series for young independent readers, Mary-Kate and her granny are going to stay at a very quiet castle near a very quiet Loch in the Scottish village of Bonkillyknock. The perfect destination for reading beside fireplaces, going for long walks in galoshes and drinking cups of tea with Granny’s old friends. At least, that’s what Mary-Kate thinks.

However, this is no ordinary reunion – it’s a World Society of Monster Hunters’ conference. So, when an ear-shattering howl interrupts the convention, Mary-Kate isn’t too anxious. After all, the experts are on hand to investigate.

But when the castle kitchen is turned upside-down and the experts suspect the usually secretive Loch Morgavie monster, Mary-Kate isn’t sure the clues add up. Could there be some other kind of beastly problem bothering Bonkillyknock Castle?  Miss Mary-Kate Martin might only be a beginner, but she’s determined to get to the end of this monstrous mystery.

The first one in this series had me hooked with its setting in an olde English village, and so one set in a Scottish castle with its promise of a wild wintery landscape and warm comfort inside also had lots of appeal!  After all, there is a reason I live where I do.  And, like its predecessors, it is an absorbing read, even for one who is not a fantasy fan. As well as its appealing setting that just cries out for something out of the ordinary to happen, engaging characters and fast-paced action keep the reader turning the pages as they watch Mary-Kate develop from being that over-anxious child to one who is confident and more self-assured. And again, the beast is firmly grounded in local mythology – this time, the legendary highland fairy hounds known as the cù-sith (coo-shee) – perhaps sparking an interest in local legends.  What might Mary-Kate, her mother and granny encounter if they met an Australian bunyip or yowie? Perhaps, after researching them, they could suggest a plot outline for Karen Foxlee for the next episode, or maybe bring it to life in drawings as Freda Chiu has with the other monsters in the endpages of the story.  Or maybe just investigate the legendary creatures, totems and other emblems of the local First Nations peoples… 

So, as well as a captivating read, there is potential for so much more…

The Fairies’ Night Before Christmas

Dec24

 

 

 

 

The Fairies' Night Before Christmas

The Fairies’ Night Before Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fairies’ Night Before Christmas

Sarina Dickson

Sarah Grieg

Hachette NZ, 2021

32pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781869714468

What is Christmas Eve without a “night before Christmas” story? 

‘Tis the day before Christmas
And all through the trees
The fairies are working
As busy as bees…

Christmas for the fairies is just as busy for them as it is for everyone else, and young readers will delight in seeing that so many of the fairies’ preparations echo their own.  But when a storm blows in and ruins everything, it seems impossible that the little ones will wake to the magic they are expecting until…

With the familiar rhythm of  Clement C. Moore’s A Night Before Christmas, this is one to charm little ones to sleep to dream of all the magic happening everywhere as they sleep. And if they wake up to discover The Fairies’ Night Before Christmas Activity Book in their Santa Sacks, then they will know that the magic is real! 

 

The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure

Nov30
The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure

The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure

Jacqueline Wilson

Mark Beech

Hodder Children’s, 2022

285pp., hbk., RRP $A35.00

9781444963373

2856pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781444963380

Seventy-plus years ago, the stories of Enid Blyton were the core of the young child’s reading diet.  A trip in the magic wishing chair or a visit to a land through the mysterious cloud above a huge tree were a much-anticipated part of the bedtime routine introducing us to the fantasy genre and leading us on to read series like The Famous Five and The Secret Seven  or any other of her 700 books and 2000 short stories for ourselves. 

Such were the memories made that that generation went on to share her work with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and some, like me, went on to become teachers and shared them with a new class of fans every year for 50 years!!! So to discover that Jacqueline Wilson had been given permission to weave new adventures among the branches of the Faraway Tree so new, modern readers can share the magic and mystery made this high on my list of review requests.  And I’ve had my nose in it all afternoon not only meeting the new and familiar characters like Silky, Moonface, the Saucepan Man and Dame Washalot among others but recalling my own introduction to them all those years ago and the joy and wonder I’ve brought to children over the years when I have shared them.  

In this new adventure, Milo, Mia and Birdy are on a countryside holiday when they wander into an Enchanted Wood and following a rabbit who can speak to them through the thick forest with its mysterious whispering leaves, discover a beautiful tree that stands high above the rest. The Magic Faraway Tree is home to many remarkable creatures including a fairy called Silky, her best friend Moonface and more. Little Birdy is only too happy to find that fairies are real. Even her older brother and sister are soon won over by the magic of the Faraway Tree and the extraordinary places they discover above it.

Keeping true to the original concept, including the writing style, this is both a nostalgic visit to past pleasures as well as the gateway to reading the entire series which remains in print.  IMO, this is one of the best series to introduce young readers to reading novels because each chapter is pretty much complete in itself making it ideal for a both a read-aloud session and a read-alone session, yet there is the continuity of both the storyline and the characters to be able to pick it up and set it down without having to orient yourself to a whole new read.  While there is drama in each chapter . the plot remains straightforward so there are not too many twists and turns to confuse the novice reader. 

My well-thumbed, well-read 1971 editions of the series have pride of place on my bookshelf, and this new adventure will be sitting there with them too, ready for when my grandchildren are ready to read it to theirs.  Hachette, the publishers, kindly sent me a hardcover version but it is also available in paperback at a more accessible price so more generations can lose themselves in the magic.  

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Fairy

Jul6
Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Fairy

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Fairy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Fairy

Rhiannon Fielding

Chris Chatterton

Ladybird, 2022

32pp., pbk., $A14.99

 9780241545591

Magical creatures live in the Land of Nod, but none of them is  keen on going to bed because they are having too much fun.  But sleep they must if they are to be ready for more fun tomorrow and so using rhyme and enchanting illustrations, author and artist take both the characters and the young reader on a calming countdown to bedtime leading them gently to the land of sleep.

Little Fairy Poppy joins her companions in trying to stretch out those last few minutes as she flits from leaf to flower delighting in her new found confidence as her wings grow stronger and allow her to fly high at last… But when Poppy spots a lost gnome far from his glade, she is determined to use her wings and get him to safety. But can she do it in time for his bedtime and hers? for there are only three minutes left… 

Beginning and ending with maps of The Land of Nod which are subtly different, and the appearance of a tiny creature on each page to encourage attention to detail, this stories follows the pattern of its predecessors, becoming a gentle lullaby to help draw the curtains on the day and help even the most rambunctious little one understand that everything needs to sleep at some time.

There is nothing as precious or as important as the bond established between parent and child through sharing stories during those ten minutes to bedtime so this is perfect for parents starting the bedtime story routine and wanting to complete it with the same story each night.