posted on 11 Mar 2020

The Vigilante Tooth Fairy by B.B.Taylor, illustrated by James Shaw

If, like me, you have ever wondered what happens to the milk teeth collected from under pillows by the Tooth Fairy, all is revealed in this engaging little story that is enhanced throughout by some atmospheric illustrations. We also get a glimpse into the busy world of Tooth which is ruled over by the Grand Old Fairy. It seems that teeth provide the essential magic fuel to keep the community alive and well. As in all civilised societies, there is a code of conduct to keep order - which includes never stealing teeth without permission and never ever revealing the magic to humans

Not everyone in Tooth is happy with their designated roles designed to ensure a steady supply of fresh teeth. Mouse is a tiny fairy who is not allowed to go out collecting as the concern is that she might get ‘squished’. But when she realises that there is a severe shortage of raw materials because the habit of leaving out teeth is far less usual than in the past, she decides to prove herself by going on a secret mission to find more. Time is running out and as the story unfolds we realise that she is brave, imaginative and resourceful despite her size.

An alternative point of view comes from Faith, a girl who lives in the human world with her mother and younger brother. Like many modern children, she is starting to get a little bit cynical about the magical worlds that she used to believe in - baby stuff surely? All this changes when Mouse visits her bedroom on two consecutive nights and together they try to work out how to solve the tooth shortage problem. It seems that only real teeth will do as when they try to extract the magic from some dentures, nothing happens. Faith tries to cheer up a despondent Mouse by telling her some (terrible) jokes:

‘Did you hear about the great new restaurant on the moon? The food is excellent, but there’s no atmosphere!’

This when they realise that laughter might also be a very valuable commodity, especially when Mouse tickles Faith and she bursts into helpless giggles!

Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice to say that Mouse saves the day and is eventually forgiven for not strictly staying within the rules. After all, Faith thinks that it was all just an exciting dream and no real teeth were stolen.

Sometimes even the best rules don’t suffice and the overall message is that some vigilante behaviour could be for the best. Excellent stuff!

I look forward to sharing this story with young readers who will doubtless be engaged by the adventurous little fairy with her determination to be valued as making a contribution to the world in which she has grown up.

 

Karen Argent

March 2020