The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

by Bob Graham

In a captivating follow-up to April and Esme, Tooth Fairies, a master of whimsy sends his tiny heroines on another adventure.

With their parents off on an urgent molar pickup, April and Esme are ready for a cozy overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's teapot house by the airport fence. There will be fairy cakes to mix, pancakes and syrup for breakfast, a chocolate on each of their pillows. But then a call comes in about a small girl in a red coat, arriving from Ghana with a baby tooth somewhere in her pocket. Could this be a job for April and Esme, tooth fairy sisters? As always with Bob Graham, the beauty is in the details: Grandpa working out with a giant teabag-turned-punching-bag; fellow winged creatures hovering above the airport terminal (cupids to help people meet and angels to comfort the sad arrivals). Merging humor, poignancy, and a bit of heart-fluttering suspense, Bob Graham turns a familiar moment of childhood independence into a thing of magic.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Family, Fairies, Magic

40 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

An Australian children's author and illustrator. His books include Max, which won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Award, Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child, which won the Kate Greenaway Medal, and "Let's Get A Pup!" Said Kate which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure of the point of the main story, but oh those few pages in the middle about the cupids and the angels at the airport are wonderful. I will continue to read everything by Graham, even though I've not loved everything.

In this, be sure to note that the story starts with the first endpapers, pages before one would expect it to.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful, absolutely charming book written and illustrated by Bob Graham, an Australian writer. I have adored every one of his books and was so pleased so see this sequel to "April and Esme, Tooth Fairies."

It is written for kids but I get so much pleasure from his words and illustrations. I recommend his titles for adults as well.

Highly recommended.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical and delightful. A peek into the world of a tooth fairy family and a sleepover at the grandparents.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't quite enjoy this as much as the first brilliant Underhills instalment and introduction to April Underhill, however Bob Graham's superlative illustrative style and poetic storytelling feel more comfortable than an old pair of slippers so it's always nothing short of a joy to immerse myself into a new story of his.

This time round we team up with April and her sister Esme who, after being relegated to Grandma and Grandad's for the weekend, end up on a wacky adventure in the nearby airport surrounded by cupids and angels and one toothless young girl in dire need of a tooth fairy.

This is a story of magic and marvellous mayhem, also of believing and hope.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Graham provides another glimpse of the life of a tooth fairy family in this charming, softy illustrated story.
April and Esme are staying at Grandma and Grandad’s for a whole weekend! They have fun mixing fairy cakes, eating pancakes with syrup for breakfast and discovering a chocolate waiting on each of their pillows. However, a phone call alerts to the plight of little girl landing at the airport with a tooth in her pocket. Are April and Esme up to the task of replacing the tooth with a coin?

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

With marvelously detailed illustrations and a well-told tale, Bob Graham invents the imaginary world from which tooth fairies originate. These winged creatures have loving parents and grandparents. They live near the airport in a teapot. The tooth fairy daughters get to meet a child arriving at the airport, and exchange her lost tooth for a coin without being detected. This wonderful example of fantasy has both visual humor and tender touches. The story is just right for the tooth losing crowd--relatable and magical at once.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuation of April and Esme's story from the first book about this tooth fairy family. This time the sisters and their baby brother are staying with their grandparents while their parents travel for work. They get a call to meet a child coming in on an international flight from Ghana and make the exchange in the airport terminal. It's not a smooth production but they meet angels and cupids who also work in the airport on important missions. In the end, the swap is made and the child is none the wiser. Lovely illustrations capture the fun and joy.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two young tooth fairies, Esme and April, are staying with their grandparents when the call comes in. For a tooth run. A little girl named Akuba, coming on the flight from Ghana, has just lost a tooth. It is their job to replace the tooth with a coin. They head for the airport. There, as they wait, they see angels and cupids awaiting arrivals as well.

When the flight comes in, they spot Akuba and, after a quick trip to the vending machine for a coin, they complete their mission.

[Lucca · Rating 3 out of 5]

We didn’t know this was a follow-up book. I think it would have made more sense if had read them in order. There was a lot in the story that didn’t seem to fit, the angels and the cupids. The book papa was reading...I don’t know. It was hard to follow.

[Alicia Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story made no sense. Kids have to stay with grandparents while parents do tooth fairy duties but then they are called to do the same?
Note* Grandpa tells little girl to whack the punching tea bag. Two cupid babies are unclothed with no visible details.

[Gabe Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very odd book that I honestly think there are better options out there for kids. It really isn't that interesting of a story and there is no theme in it that really saves it either. I don't really love this book and personally I wouldn't keep it around.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is incredibly unique, whimsical, and creative. The illustrations are full of fascinating details, and the story is really sweet. I've seen this around the library for a while, and I'm glad that I finally read it.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!!!!!!! When I think of tooth fairies from now on , Bob Graham's illustrations are what I will see. Of course tooth fairies become grandparents and look exactly like this!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming follow up to April and Esme, Tooth Fairies.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book about a pair of sisters who are tooth fairies. They go on their first job to get a tooth and leave behind a coin. Fun!

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story about life in a tooth fairy family who are on a tooth collecting mission at an airport. Love the illustrations of the tooth family’s house inside a teapot.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a strange little book. I didn't realize it was the second in a series. Maybe it would make more sense if I read the first one? It's very hard to follow and too long for most preschoolers.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

April and Esme are at their grandparents house, they want to get Akuba's tooth, will their parents let them do it? Yes, they will, April and Esme retrieve the tooth with grandma waiting in the wing.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two sisters get their first chance at being tooth fairies while visiting grandma and grandpa. Elementary and up

[Lara Bate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story about the tooth fairies!