A very competent, quick read for the little'uns. Some fairies in the forest are so intent on being grumpy they ignore all requests for their gentle, fairy-like help. Until... A perfect book might have made more of the repeated lines of dialogue the critters they meet provide, but even if the target audience is given less compulsion to join in there is still pleasure to be had here. It's a good little story, and the moral is worn very lightly considering. What appears to be a debut book shows a lot of promise.

The Grumpy Fairies by Bethan Stevens is a fun picture book about grumpy fairies who throw tantrums and don't want to help. The illustrations are gorgeous and very funny at times. This would be a fun book to read with children who can be crabby. It shows that being helpful and happy is sometimes easier and more beneficial that giving into negative emotions and fighting. This would be a great book for preschool-kindergarten aged children.

Thank you Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.