Jojo didn’t think to question the Tooth Fairy’s methods when she lost her first tooth—but now that she’s lost her second, it becomes clear she’ll need to think things through. After all, Jojo knows that you’re not supposed to let strangers into your home! (Santa is okay because she’s met him at the mall). When adults all describe the Tooth Fairy in different ways and other kids have never even seen the Tooth Fairy, she becomes even more suspicious. Her plan to investigate the Tooth Fairy includes three parts: get her footprints, see what snacks she likes, and leave a letter asking questions for her to answer.

Written by Johanna Patrick, TOOTH FAIRY CONFIDENTIAL: Investigations of JoJo P. has a wonderful message about embracing your curiosity. Between the ages of 4 and 7, kids really start asking “why” and “how” questions as they try to figure out the world. This book encourages inquisitiveness while also providing a roadmap for exploring new concepts in multiple ways. Jojo shares her reasoning behind every part of her investigation, and even adapts part of her plan multiple times in order to get the information she needs within the boundaries her parents have set (no wet cement in your bedroom or cat litter/glue on kitchen pans). Notably, Jojo’s parents support her curiosity and help her with her experiments while letting her come to conclusions on her own.

The accompanying artwork is colorful and plays with textures in an eye-catching way, though an odd mix of 2D and 3D shading can occasionally make pages feel off-kilter. Patrick uses earthy tones such as browns, greens, rusty reds, and some muted blues for most of the story, then sprinkles in hints of pink, cotton candy, and sparkles for moments touched by Tooth Fairy magic. Observant readers may pick up on background details in the illustrations that emphasize character traits. For example, the telescope in Jojo’s bedroom showcases her curiosity.

This style is best suited for adults reading aloud to children so they can pause to help with comprehension where needed. Most spreads feature one full page of text beside each illustration, which may be difficult for younger children to pay attention to or for emerging readers to process. However, Jojo’s enthusiastic narration and plenty of silly moments keep the story flowing.

Johanna Patrick’s TOOTH FAIRY CONFIDENTIAL: Investigations of JoJo P. is an amusing and engaging picture book that can help children feel confident about asking questions and exploring new concepts. The longer sections of text accompanied by bright illustrations make it best suited for being read aloud.

~ Cameron Gillespie for IndieReader