It's a miroocool by Christine Harris

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Ill. by Ann James. Little Hare, 2012. ISBN 9781921541018.
(Age: 4-7) Highly recommended. A welcome return of Audrey of the Outback, It's a miroocool! is a delightful picture book that will introduce Audrey to a younger audience, who are certain to want to read more about this fascinating little girl and the country that she lives in.
Audrey has lost a tooth and really hopes that the tooth fairy will be able to visit her. She puts the tooth in a billy of water and then leaves lots of clues for the tooth fairy to follow: An arrow made of stones, a trail of bread crumbs, a note on her cubby, and a dish of water for the fairy to drink. All her careful trails are destroyed and she begins to wonder if the tooth fairy will ever make it to her house.
Harris has used sparse text and realistic dialogue to bring alive her character, the family and the bush setting. It is not difficult to see this lively, little girl in your mind's eye and to imagine the dusty, lonely country that she lives in.
Ann James' illustrations are superb. They complement and expand the text beautifully. I especially like the end papers. They show the red earth, tufts of sage green grass and drought resistant trees, with Audrey prancing towards the farmhouse in the distance on the front one and racing away from her house on the back. The reader just knows that she is a happy, exuberant little girl from the grin on her face.
I loved this wonderful tale of a uniquely Australian tooth fairy and highly recommend it.
Pat Pledger

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