Which fairy tale would you like to know the real truth about?

The Fairy Tale Fan Club

Written by: Richard Ayoade @RichardAyoade

Illustrated by: David Roberts https://www.instagram.com/dr.illustration?igsh=MWhxN3J6bDF1YjUzcQ==

Published by: Walker Books @WalkerBooksUk

Published: September 2024

Price: £12.99

First line: Everyone loves fairy tales.

Genre: Adventure, Fairy tale, Humour

Thanks to @toppsta for the review copy.

What’s it all about? C C Cecily is the Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club. This means his role (which is explained in great detail in chapter 1) is to accept letters from fans who are writing to fairy tale characters (all the famous ones, such as: Little Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio, The Elves and the Shoemaker, and a few less well known, such as: a frog) and then distribute the replies (if any are ascertained). The replies are shown in this book along with the countery letters from ‘fans’, and some of C Cs interjections. Most of the letters have genuinely addressed concerns, that I’m sure most of us have thought of at some point in our short and miserable lives, like: Humpty Dumpty, are you an egg or a human?; relationship advice needed from a princess; or help needed with parents who are trying to abandon you. Thank you to those who were brave and wrote in.

Why should I read it? If you know anything about the author already through his (numerous? humorous? luminous?) TV work or other such appearances (most famously properly for starring in the IT Crowd), you’ll know that his wit is as dry as an evil parent’s face when their adopted child goes ‘missing’ in a fairy tale. That vein and style continues to pulsate throughout this book through the words of C C C and the letter contributers; however, at a more appropriate age level – think 9+. The approach, of a narrator appearing in every chapter talking directly to the reader and a series of correspondance, is properly, for most readers of this age, a new idea, which will intrigue and delight (or not) many. The letter/postcard style means that this would be great to use in a classroom, and children could write their own letters as C C or as a different fairy tale character (I’m sure there will be another book in the series!). The varied style and length of letters (from PJ’s rude, abrasive post-it note to Solveig’s neatly addressed letter) would make a good comparison and debate about characterisation. The punctuation is terrible (on purpose) in some of these letters and that could be edited by children in your class. You could even really send these off to C C as his address is mentioned in the book…  I love the illustrations from David Roberts, whose style (black and white pencil drawings with occasional splashes of dull colour) compliments the traditional nature and history of many of these famous stories.