Midnight Magic

While Uncle Harry is babysitting his nephews for the weekend, the Tooth Fairy leaves a gold key meant for the Ogre in "Puss in Boots"

Grade 2-4-A charming story for early chapter-book readers. Colorful Uncle Harry comes to babysit one adventure-filled weekend while Jake and Sam's parents are away. Sam has just lost a tooth, and Jake's pet hamsters have disappeared. Uncle Harry, an actor, captivates them by bringing Sam's favorite story, "Puss in Boots," to life, but Jake feels sorry for the Ogre, whom Puss eats up for no good reason that he can see. The next morning, Sam discovers that the Tooth Fairy has left him a golden key-and a note asking him to return it to the Ogre. Thus begins a day filled with surprises, as the boys discover a small black mouse (the Ogre?), find Jake's missing hamsters, and lose the golden key. Throughout, Uncle Harry keeps them guessing-is he responsible for these events, or is it really magic? The boys are utterly realistic, alternately squabbling and conspiring like any pair of siblings. In particular, Jake's sneaking suspicions about Uncle Harry's role in the drama contrast perfectly with Sam's faith in the fantastic. Harry himself is the ideal uncle, full of fun but firmly in control, except for an odd dash to an audition that leaves the boys unsupervised. The story is illustrated with lifelike oil paintings in light-filled sepia tones. A nice additional selection, certain to be appreciated by young fairy-tale fans.
Mary Jo Drungil, Niles Public Library District, IL
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