Book Review: First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts by Lari Don

First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts by Lari Don is a children's book for readers around 9 and older. Helen wants to be a musician, not a veterinarian like her mother, although she has retained some of the knowledge and skills her mother has tried to teach her. That knowledge comes in handy when she finds an injured horse, which is not just a horse. Soon Helen is caught in a quest with mythical beast to help them right a wrong that their own curiosity set into motion. Helen and her new friends need to solve riddles to find a very special book before the evil Master of the Maze can. While on these adventures Helen must also stay in the good graces of her parents, protect her younger sister and master a fiddle solo to attend a summer camp with some of the best musicians in the world. A collection of Scottish landscape, folklore and fables are intertwined with the adventure to keep readers enthralled.

This book is a fun and interesting read. As a fan of all things related to myth and folklore, I loved seeing them used so well. The story is set in modern Scotland, so the terms for common things and some of the folklore might be new to some readers. Helen is a believable character, with all the family relations and tensions that any preteen might have. Her balancing of family, music, friendships and her new adventures just felt right to me. Yann, the first mythological creature we meet, is a centaur that acts like any boy dealing with emotions like fear and guilt might. Other members of the group are Lavender, Rona and Sapphire. They each have their own quirks and personality that made them real, even though they are creatures of legend. I really liked that all of them had realistic relationships and feelings about their family and community regardless of their race.

I recommend First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts to children around 9 and older, as well as adults that enjoy reading children's literature. This is a classic quest and start of a coming of age series that can draw readers in and keep them hooked. I am looking forward to finding and reading the books that follow, which currently include Wolf Notes and Other Musical Mishaps and Storm Singing and Other Tangled Tasks. I am eager for them to be published in the states.