Toot Fairy

LOCAL AUTHOR

Toot Fairy is an adorably illustrated story about Irma, who is starting Tooth school in order to become a Tooth Fairy. We soon learn that little Irma has a bit of a flatulence problem due to sensitivity to lactose intolerance. Like so many kids in “regular” school, she also wants to fit in with everyone else. When her classmates are having lunch together and offer her a glass of milk, even though she knows what will ensue, she decides to drink it anyway. Her tummy rumbles and gurgles, and she lets out an unmistakable toot. Her teacher scolds her for disrupting the class and not being able to be a good Tooth Fairy. Irma put all of her concentration into not farting that her school exams suffered. While her classmates celebrated their graduation, Irma sulked in the hallway. Then came a tooth assignment that only she can fulfill.

I read this to my five-year-old granddaughter, whose father is lactose-intolerant. We first started a conversation about what that means, which led to a discussion about genetics and inheriting certain things from our parents. Toot Fairy is a unique book on a subject I’ve not seen written about in a picture book. In an era where we preach inclusion to our children, it’s nice to not only see a book on a topic such as this but also to see a child wearing rainbow-colored socks. It’s a great message about how there is a place for all of us, no matter what our challenges might be. The illustrations are beautifully created and the story has a rhyming flow to it that captivated my granddaughter. My only complaint was that perhaps some of the words chosen will be above the intended audiences’ heads. I found myself stopping at those words so I could explain what they meant, which only interrupted the flow of the story.