Operation Bunny

Looked at one way, this is the beginning of another series of books about fairies aimed at pre-adolescent girls. It has an appealing heroine: orphan Emily, adopted by a self-obsessed couple who, once they have their own triplets, relegate her to Cinderella status, yet who finds a fairy godmother in the old lady who lives next door. It is perfectly pitched in short chapters and clear, direct language, and there are fairies, although not as we usually know them. And if you thought it might in any way be twee, you would be wrong. Bizarre is a better word for Fidget, the talking cat who lives with the old lady next door and becomes Emily’s closest ally, and for Harpella, the evil witch who turns the triplets into zombies and the passengers of an entire train into pink rabbits. The mad cocktail garnished with David Roberts’ sure illustrative comic touch is spiked with the kind of wit and social comment that will have parents chuckling over their children’s shoulders. Something completely out of the ordinary.