Book Review: Unfairies: Death by Toad, by Huw Aaron

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Feature image credit: Penguin Books Australia

The highly anticipated sequel to the popular Unfairies graphic novel is here, and it is just as funny, exciting and irreverent as the first book. Unfairies: Death by Toad continues the story of Pip the tree fairy, recently elected Oakminister, as she leaps into yet another adventure with zero thoughts going through her tiny brain. When Pip’s friend Twig is kidnapped, Pip goes on a half-cocked mission to save him, accompanied by Squeek, a spy for the toad cult (the readers learn this in the first book). Cue mayhem, narrow escapes, and interactions with more of the garden’s fairies (including my personal favourite, the exceedingly chill Herb Fairies).

My daughter, Miss 11, declares that this book is ‘even better than the first one,’ and I have to agree. There’s a lot of story packed into 262 pages, and the action never stops. Miss 11 and I were trying to read it together, but she kept reading ahead without me, which is a testament to its ability to keep the attention of a preteen reader. I’m pretty sure she read the whole thing twice before I got to the end.

The recurring characters (particularly Pip and Squeek) are given more dimension throughout this story. Despite Pip’s action-first-think-second tendencies and her love of violence, she shows a fierce loyalty to her friends and a tenacity that makes her a good main character for young readers to connect to and cheer for. Even Squeek, who assures us on the first page that he is a baddie, has a multifaceted personality and reveals a strong moral centre.

The artwork is the same fun two-dimensional drawing as the first book, with excellent consistency in the character drawings throughout the book. The colour palettes of each of the different fairy villages are distinct from each other, making it easy to follow in regards to location. The pond fairies’ home is coloured in greens and browns, while the flower fairies are a riot of colour, and the tree fairies’ home is mostly greens and oranges. The whole effect is stunning to look at, while maintaining the fun vibe of the story.

While the main plot of this book is resolved at the end, there is a cliffhanger ending, meaning there is at least one more book in this exciting series. Young readers who love DogMan and Captain Underpants will get hooked on this new series.

Reviewed by Kristin Stefanoff

The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.

Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: 23 June 2026
RRP: $19.99