This book is a bit different than most of the Gregory Maguire books I have read in the past, but is still a parody of a common fairy tale. In this case the book takes on the story of the tooth fairy in a quite original way. It is not my favorite of his books but was short enough and written in a fashion that kept me interested throughout.
The story starts out with three overly sheltered siblings stuck in what they appear to think is the end of the world with their older cousin. There is no power and a storm is raging outside. As a way to entertain and distract them from what is going on around them the cousin tells them a story from his youth, which happens to be the story of how he met a Skibberee (aka a tooth fairy). The book jumps back and forth from the children to the story of the tooth fairies, often with what is happening in one story foreshadowing what will happen in the other. The main character, who ends up with the name What-the-Dickens, is a Skibberee who was orphaned at birth and therefore does not know any of the customs or practices of the tooth fairies. By chance he meets up with another Skibberee and learns much about himself in the process.
Overall this was a decent read and worth it if you are looking for a relatively easy and quick fairy-tale type book.
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