T.C. Robson - reviewed on 8/8/2008 + 147 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

Rogue tooth fairy? A cat named McCavity? An old, lonely lady that talks to bugs? Yeah, Gregory Maguire covers it all.

This September release highlights a little skiberee (tooth fairy, in layman's terms), dubbed 'What-The-Dickens' after a human's reaction to him, that is trying to regain memory of who and what he is and find his home. This alone would seem to create an awkward, childish tale, but as told by a twenty-something English teacher named Gage caring for his cousins during a ravenous storm, its fairytale quality is much more endearing.

The book follows the little guy through Gage's telling of his adventures from one home to another, discovering new sights and helping others along the way (who else better to extract a Bengal tiger's tooth?). All the while, Gage and his close group of relatives fight sleep and fright during the raging storm, waiting for their parents to return safely...they hope. In order to calm and soothe the youngsters, Gage launches into What-The-Dickens' story whenever fright, hunger or chill overcomes them. And while the kids face the possibility of leaving their home for a shelter upon a sheriff's insistence, the lost fairy finds a colony of those like him...even though they seem to be less than thrilled with his presence.

Only through a series of twists, turns, surprises and sticky situations do both the rainy-day children and the rogue fairy discover their true talents and purposes. Thhe light, but dramatic tale may have children waking in the night to see if that baby tooth they lost is still under their pillow...

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