Joy the Elf

K-Gr 3-Mateo's fairy, Joy, who looks like a Christmas elf with an acorn dangling from the tip of her hood, is put under a spell by the Ragdoll Witch. That selfsame spell rewards Mateo with his heart's desires immediately upon wishing for them. What does he wish for? Naturally, things like a tablet, roller skates, ice cream, and a dragon. With each wish, Joy gradually fades away. Only a counterspell from another good fairy will bring Joy back—a spell that connects Mateo with those he loves. Fans of Stian Hole's quirky style will appreciate Aguirre's cloudlike depiction of grandma and grandpa's hair and the prickly legs and unibrow of her Ragdoll Witch. The illustrations in this tale, with its noticeable use of shadow, transparency, and opacity, are worth a second and third look and exude a joy that the title character would be proud of. Readers, however, will likely stumble over some of the translation choices. Maintaining a rhyming structure in parts and staying too close to the original text in others results in a clunky-sounding narrative. The smattering of boldface type lacks intentionality and the additional problem of the didactic nature of the story will be reason enough for those with a smaller budget to pass it by.