Review Detail

Oona Bramblegoop is a newbie fairy that takes care of slugs. She just grew her wings and her magic is a bit untested. There is built-in comedy in that she comes from a family whose magic is known to go a bit sideways from what is intended. She mostly makes situations worse with the clumsy aftereffects of her magic. Young readers are sure to find delight that her best magic comes in the form of protective underwear that gives wedgies to prevent the wearer from falls and trips.
This is the first book in a new series. By the end of the book, you start to understand the hierarchy, fairy roles, and rewards and punishments but I would have expected it to be explained better in the first few chapters of the series.
I was surprised to learn that the advertised age range is 7-10 years. The story and illustrations made it feel best suited for 5-8-year-olds. It relied heavily on the silliness of underwear protection magic and the concept of wonky sideways magic with funny consequences. I read this with a nine-year-old and she was picking apart the parts that were supposed to be funny so less mature/younger audiences would like it better.
Oona was sometimes rude and short-tempered with her younger cousin, Horace. She also became a bit of a pest, not taking no for an answer from helping the Tooth Fairy. I do like that she realizes her mistakes and seeks to apologize as a good lesson in friendship by the end.
Overall, the audiobook has a good narrator who is pleasant to listen to. The physical book has made a fun decision to have the text in pink and is highly illustrated making it engaging for young audiences, especially those just beginning chapter books.