April and Esme, Tooth Fairies - a bit of magic (ages 4 - 8)

My youngest daughter just lost her first tooth, and it is a magical time for her.There's the wonder of watching your body change, the sign that you are growing older, and the magic of the tooth fairy leaving a present for you in the middle of the night. If you have a young child at the wiggly-tooth phase in life, you might enjoy reading April and Esme, Tooth Fairies together. Bob Graham captures the magic of this time in children's lives, and weaves in plenty of gentle humor, too. A tooth fairy box and this book would make lovely gifts for a preschooler or kindergartner about to lose their first tooth.

April and Esme, Tooth Fairies
by Bob Graham
NY: Candlewick, 2010
ages 4 - 8
available on Amazon or at your local library

April, a seven year old tooth fairy, and her younger sister Esme get a call on their cell phone asking her to collect a young boy's tooth.  "We shall be there, I PROMISE!" she tells the boy's grandma. This is their first time collecting a child's tooth, and they are determined to do a good job. Naturally, their parents are worried about the two girls going off on their own. It's a big world out there for two little fairies. But their mom and dad do agree, and the two girls fly off in the night, a mesh bag and coin in tow.

Bob Graham creates a lovely modern twist to the classic notion of the tooth fairy. Gone are pink tutus and sparkly wands. This tooth fairy mom has a tattoo of a dove and wears bangles and rings. April and Esme's parents text her to help her when she gets in a tight spot and the little boy wakes up. But best of all, Graham captures the wonder and excitement of the tooth fairy. The young fairies whisper in the little boy's ear, "We're spirits of the air. You dreamed us. You did not see us."

Pair this book with a tooth fairy box or tooth fairy pillow, and you're little one will be thrilled.

April and Esme, Tooth Fairies has received several starred reviews: Horn Book, Booklist and Kirkus. It's also been selected as one of the best books of the year in the Horn Book Fanfare 2010. See blog reviews at:

• Book Aunt
• Kids Lit
• MotherReader

Review copy came from our home library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support!