Briony Stewart, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Tooth Fairy (and Some Things You Didn’t), Lothian Children’s Books, July 2024, 32 pp., RRP $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734421883
Did you know that tooth fairies eat dirty socks? Or that the money they leave behind has been foraged from beaches, gutters and under sofas? And that after popping up out of the soil, tooth fairies are fully grown in just a few weeks? These are but a few of the gems in this picture book filled with important information for anyone experiencing “tooth exfoliation” and hoping for a financial reward (though I am sorry to say, I suspect money is not left for older people who lose a tooth!)
Briony Stewart will be familiar to many, especially after her picture book Gymnastica Fantastica won the CBCA Early Childhood category last year. This new book provides a wealth of information and answers even the more worrying questions such as what to do if your tooth falls down the toilet, and what tooth fairies do with rotten teeth. Another perturbing question is answered when we are told that tooth fairies can magically shrink coins down to a manageable size for carrying, then returning them back to their normal size once under the pillow, in the glass or in a tooth box. That always perplexed me!
Stewart’s illustrations are delightful and full of fun. They are bold, bright and very detailed, many of them across double-spread splash pages. They demand closer investigation, giving the reader greater insight into the daily life of tooth fairies.
Whilst quite a lot of information is given, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Tooth Fairy (and Some Things You Didn’t) is more of a guide than a narrative, allowing readers to dip in and out at their whim. It is shortlisted for the CBCA Early Childhood category for 2025.
The more I read it, the more I enjoyed it!
Recommended for ages 4-9 years
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
