PISH AND POSH WISH FOR FAIRY WINGS

The second title in the series reintroduces Pish and Posh, fairies-in-training bent on acquiring wings. Pish is older and bossier; her best friend Posh is both subservient and rebellious, like a little sister. Debuting here is Mub, the “Monster Under the Bed,” a lupine beast with ample good sense and advice that’s initially ignored. The girls’ magical wishes go haywire; they scrap, then make up, and there are some bright, funny bits, as when Posh, discovering the empathetic Mub, says, “Whoever you are . . . I love you!” The circumstances under which each fairy gets her wings might be unclear to the intended age range, and the fairies’ petulance wears a bit thin. Bottner depicts them with oddly cloven-looking slippered feet and pointy, cat-like ears. A lesser light in the I Can Read series. (Easy reader. 5-8)