Dig Deep (Junkyard Fairies #1) (Edwina Wyatt, illus Lauren O’Hara, Walker)

Deep in a quiet scrap heap on the edge of a forest live the junkyard fairies: Fur, Tip and Nug. Dig Deep is the first in the new Junkyard Fairies series from Edwina Wyatt (Tish, The Secrets of Magnolia Moon) and is a fun combination of gross and cute that will appeal to young readers. This sweet and funny book contains 12 (mostly) standalone chapters that follow the fairies on different adventures as they forage for food, look for pets and clean up their house. These fantastical stories hinge on recognisable situations and emotions for younger readers and may help them put their feelings into words as the fairies feel grumpy when hungry, experience loneliness, or get frustrated when in close quarters. After some smaller adventures, the book builds into a more serious and extended story of the fairies having their home destroyed by humans, which highlights the book’s gentle conservation message, as resources in the junkyard become harder to find and species disappear. Lauren O’Hara’s sweet illustrations and the lists of facts about each character at the start of the book are thoughtful details. Wyatt’s modern-day fairy stories are perfect for reading out loud to children aged 5 to 7 and could be read by independent readers; however, some older readers may find them too childish. Perfect for fans of Little Gem by Anna Zobel or the Amelia Fang series by Laura Ellen Anderson.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Fay Helfenbaum is a freelance writer and editor and was a bookseller for five years. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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