The Children’s Book Review | June 10, 2014
Fabulous Farrah & the Sugar Bugs
By Heather Finn; Illustrated by Bonnie Lemaire
Paperback: 42 pages
Age Range: 4-8
Publisher: Little Harbor Books (December 18, 2013)
ISBN: 978-0988818705
What to expect: Dental Health, Hygiene
Farrah Feeth is a girl just like any other girly-girl you know and she happens to be pretty fabulous at most things, except for brushing her teeth. Her mother warns her that if she doesn’t brush her teeth the Sugar Bugs will find her. Farrah is a confident girl and quite sure that Sugar Bugs wouldn’t mess with someone so fabulous. Instead of nagging, Farrah’s mom provides her with an opportunity to learn for herself. For three weeks, Farrah eats and drinks loads of sugary items and does not brush her teeth. When school picture day rolls around, Farrah is surprised and very upset to discover that her smile looks less than fabulous:
“[I] noticed that my teeth were not pearly-white, but a very gross yellowish-green. … All I could think about were the Sugar Bugs and how they were visible for the ENTIRE world to see.”
Author Heather Finn’s use and description of the Sugar Bugs create a helpful and kid-friendly analogy. By crafting a storyline where the character has to learn for herself about the benefits of brushing her teeth everyday, she provides a relatable experience that will hopefully prevent the readers themselves from having to learn the hard way. Bonnie Lemaire’s illustrations are a funky caricature style that subconsciously draw the eye to Farrah’s mouth and really highlight the happy ending of Farrah’s fabulous smile, which comes back when she begins taking care of her teeth.
This is a book that will be appreciated by parents and children that have battled over the humdrum routine chore of teeth brushing.
About the Author
Heather Finn was born, raised and lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts with her husband and two children. An identical triplet and the eighth of ten children, Heather grew up listening to a lot of stories. When she became a mom, Heather shared her stories from her youth with her children. And, when she ran out of stories to tell, she began to create new ones. When Heather began searching for fun yet educational books to teach her children about good health and hygiene, she realized that such books were hard to find. Coupled with difficulties she had in getting her children to brush their teeth, Heather was inspired to write her first book, Fabulous Farrah & the Sugar Bugs.
Through Little Harbor Books, named after Marblehead’s beautiful first harbor, Heather hopes to create a series of children’s books that will captivate and engage children worldwide.
When not telling stories, Heather works in financial services and holds a M.B.A., M.S. in Finance, and B.S. in Finance and Human Resources from Boston College.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The author of “Fabulous Farrah and the Sugar Bugs” paid for this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …
