Little Fur: The Legend Begins (review)

Little Fur is half elf, half troll, making her deeply connected to the earth and all things that grow on it. When it comes to her attention that people are deliberately and maliciously setting trees on fire, she is filled with fear that the tree burners will eventually threaten the Old Ones, seven ancient trees that protect the wilderness where Little Fur lives. She sets off on a quest to stop the tree burners but soon learns that the menace is far greater than she imagines, and that it is ultimately her destiny to stop the Troll King from devouring the world. Her bravery and the help of a motley assortment of friends that includes a crow and two cats help her win the battle, but she knows that the war is just beginning (and indeed, this title is the first of an anticipated series). Ecofantasy is still a comparatively rare genre, especially for this age group, and Australian author Carmody makes it a compelling story for a young audience. There's more than a touch of both didacticism and schmaltz, though; a degree of extratextual menace is added by illustrations of a demonic-looking sprite dogging Little Fur's unwitting footsteps, but otherwise the illustrations add the expected oversweet icing to this clichéd cake full of singing trees, dreaming earth spirits, easily duped and uncaring humans, and a wise old owl dispensing oracular wisdom. Nevertheless, fans of The Dark Crystal and Ferngully, as well as those with a high tolerance for the combination of cute and intense, may want to give this a go.