Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Tooth Fairy's First Night
Illustrator: Jon Berkeley
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
Lerner Books, 2005 ISBN: 978-1575057538
Sally has always wanted to be tooth fairy just like her mother and grandmother and now on her seventh birthday she is finally going to go out to get her very first tooth. Proudly, on a night lit by the full moon, Sally sets off with her new tooth fairy purse over her arm.
Sally has been sent to get the tooth of Miranda Kay Michaels and straight away she runs into difficulties, for Miranda has left a letter for the tooth fairy and not the tooth. Miranda wants to be sure that there really is a tooth fairy so she has hidden the tooth and wants Sally to find it. After all only a real tooth fairy will be able to find the missing tooth. Poor Sally is most distressed but being a determined little fairy she quickly wipes away her tears and gets to work.
Young readers will greatly enjoy this simple little story about a little fairy girl who has to face all kinds of new challenges on her first night out. Despite the difficulties she has, Sally never gives up, for "a good tooth fairy always gets her tooth." A child who is discouraged by the process of learning how to do new things will be comforted and given hope that so long as he or she does not give up, the task will be done. Atmospheric watercolor illustrations rich with soft blues and purples show the sleepy world of a tooth fairy's night to great effect.