Review - The Fairy in the Kettle Gets Magical

The Fairy in the Kettle Gets Magical (The Fairy in the Kettle #3)
by Pauline Tait
illustrated by Debbie Bellaby
Date: 2019
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 27
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Perfect for 4 to 8 years olds this beautifully illustrated picture book continues the adventures of Leona and her friends. Although part of a series all books can be read independently of each other.

“They could remember the warm amber glow shimmering and sparkling as it danced through the air. Twisting and turning as it went.”

When Leona was woken early one morning, she knew something had to be wrong. But as she rushed to meet the elders nothing could prepare her for what she was about to hear. Life in Fairy Glen was about to change...the words fairy dust were echoing in the air!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Have you ever hidden something away for safekeeping, only to forget where you'd put it when you went back to look for it later? That's the basic premise of this story. Long ago, to keep their fairy dust out of the hands of the pixies, the elder fairies hid it away somewhere. Well, fast forward many years, and the fairies are starting to run low on dust. They need to replenish their supply, but nobody can remember where they stashed the stuff! The plot of the book basically revolves around the fairies searching for--and eventually finding--the dust. That's it. There's no conflict, no villain (other than forgetfulness and possibly fairy dementia), and the resolution is so easy that it's extremely unsatisfying. Leona literally looks up, sees a cave behind the waterfall, and figures out where the fairy dust is.

The illustrations might be my favourite part of this book. They're colourful and fun to look at. I especially liked the fairies holding their noses as they flew into the musty-smelling cave. (For some reason, though, the illustrator isn't credited on the cover. When a picture book depends so heavily on the illustrations, it's nice to give the person who made them a little more credit!)

The writing is okay, although there are a few questionable word and punctuation choices. The book's main weakness, though, is simply the lack of an engaging story. This book can supposedly stand on its own, but I have a feeling the first book in the series is a little more interesting. A fairy who lives in a kettle is already far more intriguing than a bunch of forgetful fairies flying around trying to find some misplaced dust.

Thank you to NetGalley and SilverWood Books for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5