Review by Frank Plowright

Frankie Fairy and her mother have just moved to Mosstown, and both are enthusiastic about the start of the new educational year. Frankie’s starting a new school and keen to learn about new creepy critters in the area, and her mother is the university’s new Professor of Biology. Unfortunately enthusiasm counts for nothing in the face of the indifference shown by Frankie’s new classmates, who make fun of her.

Caitlin Rose Boyle has pulled off a neat trick in the first few pages. Frankie’s zest for life makes her instantly likeable, and it’s a heartbreaking moment when she’s rejected. However, this isn’t a story about overcoming the odds, although that happens, but a really painless way for young children to learn about nature. After school Frankie and her little dog Tuna encounter several different creatures in the woods, all the more exotic for her being fairy sized. She carries her notebook with her everywhere and records details about the wildlife.

It’s all rather at odds with the lumpy illustrations and the unique use of colour, which immediately establishes Boyle as a very individual artist. Despite Frankie resembling nothing as much as a junior vampire she’s an extremely sympathetic character, and her surroundings are teeming with life and movement. It’s an alluring combination, and should be immediately attractive to young readers.

This absolute delight ends with Frankie overcoming her bad start at school and a page after the story offering little more practical advice about the creatures encountered and stressing respect and distance. More follows in Frankie and the Beastly Bog Song.