Easy Fiction Treasure
Mr Nimble Jay, Mayor of the town, makes an important announcement. He needs a team of tooth fairies to retrieve a tooth from a faraway city. This is not just any tooth - it is top tooth, a front tooth. Oliver is so excited.
Early the next morning he joins the queue of hopeful candidates. Joining him are his friends Cornpepper Rose and Henry B. Standing beside the group they hear Martin Goosegrass.
"What are you doing here, Oliver Sundew? Nimble Jay will never pick you to be one of his tooth fairies."
During his interview with Nimble Jay, Oliver truthfully answers the questions. Afraid of spiders - no; afraid of scorpions - no; afraid of leaping trout - no. Able to fly fast?
"Oliver Sundew paused. As a matter of fact, flying gave him problems. 'You see, sir,' he explained, 'I flew into a candle when I was small and I've only got one good wing."
Oliver has failed. He tries to explain that while flying might be hard for him, he is a very good swimmer but there is no way be can be selected. Oliver is so disappointed. Nimble Jay does give him one job, however. Oliver has to go to the bank to collect the coin. Then Oliver watches his friends Cornpepper Rose, Henry B and the horrid Martin Goosegrass lift the coin, which is suspended in a large net, and fly away.
Everyone gathers in the tooth-cobbled square for news of the tooth when all of a sudden Martin Goosegrass returns. There is a huge problem. The tooth is in water. The fairies cannot retrieve it. Fire, oil and water are the three things which fairies fear the most. Oliver speaks up. He can swim and he can fly, if he takes lots of rests. He sets off with Martin Goosegrass. When they arrive Oliver sees the tooth down deep in a huge glass of water. He dives in and retrieves the tooth. Hooray!!
Morning is coming. The humans will be waking. The coin is dropped into the glass and the tooth fairies fly out through the door letter box flap which Nimble Jay had cleverly propped open with a lollipop stick. Only five minutes later the postman arrives. He wonders why the letter box has been propped open.
This book has a perfect emotional arc. The sadness when Oliver has to show is burnt wing to Nimble Jay. His funny interaction at the bank with the grumpy manager. The wonderful moment when Oliver saves the day. Three cheers for our hero - Oliver Sundew. I especially love the way Oliver exclaims "toads alive" when he is shocked about something. I have added this expression to my own vocabulary. The tooth fairies do use toads as a form of transport as you can see on the front cover. All the characters also have perfect names. Cornpepper Rose and Henry B are the right names for Oliver's friends. The name Martin Goosegrass sounds just as nasty as the character himself. The small line drawings by Dom Mansell add so much to the story. I also laugh every time when I think about that lolly pop stick and the puzzled postman.
Quite recently I talked about Sam McBratney and also tooth fairy books and I realised I had not specifically discussed Oliver Sundew Tooth Fairy even though it is one of my all time favourite easy chapter books and a book I have read aloud for over 25 years. I was able to source a used copy. It is not in very good shape but it feels good to have my own copy of this treasure. Perhaps you will be lucky and find one in your library too.
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