Fairies vs. Leprechauns

November 1, 2024
A feud with fellow magical creatures leads to a heap of problems in the fairy world. The glitterberries have gone missing from the warehouse! With only a four-leaf clover left as a clue, the fairies of Blackberry Bog soon find themselves being pelted from above with their favorite sparkly snack. Oona the Underwear Fairy, her cousin Horace the Slug Fairy, and their pal Lucy the Tooth Fairy set out to find the perpetrator but quickly discover that Lucy's gold coins have also been purloined. All signs point to leprechauns--but why? With the help of human friend Marco, the fairies briefly capture the culprits and begin to piece together a motive. Lucy, shockingly, is revealed as partially culpable for the predicament that led the leprechauns to a life of crime. Each character feels fully, delightfully realized in this latest excursion to Blackberry Bog. Oona's wonky spells conjure a bubble gum-chewing goat; on one eye-catching page, Horace gleefully catches falling glitterberries in his mouth. Meanwhile, Lucy maintains a somewhat problematically single-minded commitment to her tooth fairy duties. Their antics, as silly as ever, nonetheless have serious bearing on fairy society. With the world's particulars well established in previous volumes, this story focuses on interspecies diplomacy, complex personal motivations, and ultimately a surprising recognition of Oona's increasing competency and cooperative nature. Some diversity is implied through shading and hairstyles in the green-tinged, two-toned illustrations. Final art not seen. A whimsical delight.(Fantasy. 7-10)

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