Tilly Witch

Tilly the Witch #2

by Don Freeman

Tilly Witch forgot how to be mean and had to return to finishing school for witches to re-learn the trickery of the trade.

Genres: Halloween, Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Witches, Holiday, Fantasy

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Don Freeman was a painter, printmaker, cartoonist, children's book author, and illustrator. He was born in San Diego, California, attended high school in Missouri, and later moved to New York City where he studied etching with John Sloan.
Frequent subjects included Broadway theatre, politics, and the circus. He was also a jazz musician, and the brother of circus entrepreneur Randy Freeman.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

". . . if boys and girls can have fun pretending to be witches, I don't see why I can't play at being happy and gay for a change!"

But now Tilly's too cheery to frighten the children on Halloween. Looks like it's back to witching school to learn to be mean and wicked again. This is definitely not one of Freeman's best, but it's a cute story nonetheless.

And about that surfboard/whisk broom, and love beads Tilly's sporting on the cover?

Yeah - this was written during the late sixties . . .

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the holiday fast approaching, Tilly Ipswitch, the Queen of Halloween, is horrified to discover that a cheerful happiness has overtaken her! What self-respecting witch would harbor kind thoughts, or go through the day with a smile on her face? Determined to put things right, Tilly visits Doctor Weegee of Wahoo, a witch-doctor of some repute, and receives her prescription: back to Miss Fitch's Finishing School for Witches, with the aim of reclaiming her fierce meanspiritedness...

My initial excitement at finding this witchy selection from Don Freeman, whose classic picture-book, Corduroy , was one of my childhood favorites, was tempered by a friend's response (put very succinctly: she hated it!), so I was curious to see what I would make of Tilly Witch, in the end. Truthfully, I was less concerned with the nastiness of the character and/or story (aren't witches supposed to be nasty, sometimes?), than the depressingly stereotypical scene in which Tilly visits an island witch-doctor, who looks to be wearing some kind of south-seas mask. I could happily live without that sort of thing, especially as I was otherwise indifferent to both story and illustrations.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun read aloud!

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in the early 90s. It's one of my first children's books past infancy. Looking at it now, the illustration doesn't seem to be as good as how I remembered it to be. I don't have access to this book anymore. The story makes me feel sad. Tilly was doing perfectly fine being happy and rebellious. This seems to be about conformity and fulfilling your role in society, otherwise, you're kind of broken. Or it could be interpreted as becoming lousy at one's job and going back to school to get a refresher. Although I don't think you need a doctor to tell you that. It feels as if Tilly needs to be mentally adjusted in order to properly reintegrate with society.

This was written in the 60s and I understand how inflexible people were at the time. I believe the language and imagery aren't appropriate in today's standards. I wouldn't recommend this. Thank goodness there is a plethora of newer and better books around.

[Emkoshka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute witch story that neatly taps into surf culture through Tilly Ipswitch riding a surfboard through the clouds. Features a more diverse colour palette than most of Don Freeman's other stories.

[Jailene Soto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite different. It is a story about Tilly the Witch, Queen of Halloween, not being able to be mean. She has to go to a witch school to relearn how to be nasty to the children of the world and to stay like that for the Halloweens to come. I read this around Halloween time!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister gave me this book. It was discarded from the Keene Memorial Library in Freemont, NE. The book has been taped in several places and is warped.

Fun story.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter like this more than I did, not that I didn't like it it just wasn't my favorite. It was a very cute book. Great pictures.

[Andrea Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilly Witch is about a witch who looses her evil touch and has to return to witch school. I love the illustrations in this book and think it would be a fun book for kiddos to read.

[Danni Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

cw: contains a racist illustration meant to represent an Indigenous person, uses “gay” and “queer” in ways that may confuse young readers

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute book about a witch who becomes nice but she needs to be scary for halloween

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so this book is very dated and not politically correct, but I still found myself charmed by the story and the illustrations, so sue me. Tilly Witch (1978) by Don Freeman is a fun Halloween picture book about a witch named Tilly who decides to be more like a good child than an evil witch, but when she can't seem to turn back into an evil witch, she seeks help from a witch doctor (good grief) after flying there on her surfboard broom. the witch doctor tells her to go back to school and learn the ways of being a really frightening witch, so she does but doesn't seem to be able to become evil again. And with Halloween fast approaching, Tilly might just let down so many people to trust her to scare the costumes off little children. The illustrations are scrumptious, but yes, it's a bit dated, but this one gets a pass from me. I enjoyed reading it. My rating - 5/5

[RICHARD GILBERT]

What a negative message! I read this book many times in Elementary School and liked it, relating to Tilly being different. After reading the book as an adult I was very disappointed to see that she visits a Witch Doctor and has to be 'cured'. I think this sends a very negative message that it is not ok to be different and that people must conform to what society expects of them. I can't help but think about a gay person being sent to camp to be 'cured' of homosexuality or a trans person not conforming to the sex they were assigned at birth. I don't think this '60s mentality should be taught to children today.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

New vocabulary word *skeg* "a tapering or projecting stern section of a vessel's keel, which protects the propeller and supports the rudder. a fin underneath the rear of a surfboard." Having broom bristles there makes no sense but it's cute.

Disturbing racist pictures of a "Witch Doctor" - discuss with your child.
And of course no respect for pagans or white witches; this is about the classic 'wicked witches.'

Otherwise, pretty darn funny.

[Emily Kono]

A story about a very happy and kind witch who goes around visiting friends and her teacher. They are all disappointed in how she wasn't acting like a true witch and encouraged her to go back to her old ways. She finally became cruel again just in time for Halloween. A good book to read aloud around Halloween time, but not a great story to encourage kind behavior in the classroom.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book as a child in the 70s. Don Freeman is at it again with his toothsome vocabulary choices (I had to look up what a “skeg” was*) and enticing rhythms.

But I was TODAY YEARS OLD when I found out it is a SEQUEL?! Off to try and find Space Witch!

* lots of definitions out there now; in this context, it’s a fin on the bottom of a surf board.

[Lisa McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kid Reviews:
5yo: Tilly witch will be bad or nice? Find out in this book!
9yo: Tilly wakes up feeling like she wants to be nice to the kids. But close to Halloween she cant stop being nice so she goes to the doctor and the doctor says, "You have to go back to witches school" Will she pass or fail?

[Marissa Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surfboard riding witch heading to the witch doctor for a prescription to a witch finishing school. Far out man.

Hasn’t aged too well, but still have fond memories of this book. (It still has my original Ghostbusters book plate with my name scribbled, lest someone steal it.)

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this one. A witch is happy and nice, but then she goes back to school and becomes mean and wicked again. I would have preferred a nice witch.

[Gemma Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started my love of reading. Super adorable!!

[Kelly Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

To story of a witch that isn't mean anymore and is always happy is a fun and interesting story for any age. She shows why school is important because you learn the things you need to know in order to do your job after school well. She proves that sometimes you even need to go back to school in order to refresh your skills which I think is a great lesson for children or anyone really. Education is important and with it you can be your best self. This would be a great book to read around the holiday of Halloween as an encouraging book about the holiday, not about scary or negative sides of the holiday.

[SmokingMirror · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marvelous witch book, though full of various stereotypes. It does seem that witch stories for modern children feature unusual modes of transport, more a la mode pour les temps. What do 21st century witches ride? (I hope no 90s witch was so addled as to ride a Segway.)

An important feature of human nature is illuminated by this book: we do care very much what the cats in our lives think of us.

[Shannon Brasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun story about Tilly Witch who loses her ability to be mean at Halloween and only wants to do good. I think this would be a fun story to read at Halloween and come up with some activities for. I also liked the message that Tilly goes back to school to relearn all the important things she needs to know to be a good witch. This is a good lesson for children that school is important as is the things you learn there.

[Heather Lei · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odd book. A mean witch turns good and has to relearn how to be mean. I suppose it was supposed to be cute, but I'm not sure I want my kids to learn that being mean is a goal to be reached. Although I agree that sitting in the corner wearing a dunce cap, humiliated in front of classmates, is probably a good way to build up enough resentment to turn evil again.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my most favorite children's books when I was younger! Of course I would love a book where the happy ending is that the wickedest witch of all re-captures her evil Halloween spirit, but seriously it's an adorable book and to this day, I still have it on my bookshelf :)

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets five stars for its staying power in my memory. Our family owned a copy of this and I recall using my mother's typewriter to copy all the text from the book. I remember it as a funny story with a good moral (I was 7 years old at the time). Hello again, Tilly!

[Brittany Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great life lesson. It is a wonderful book for young children with plenty of pictures that will entertain them while instructing their minds. I really love that I found this book and know it will remain on my shelf for my son to enjoy.

[Ally McCulloch · Rating 1 out of 5]

A sick book that is littered with suggestive words that have a different meaning in an adult context. It was painful to hear this book being read to children. Also, what moral? That witches are supposed to be mean. I would avoid.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a rather interesting twist for the plot: a witch becoming nice and enjoying it until she realizes it's not who she's meant to be. Summarizing and comprehension would be things to look for from your students after reading this book.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this.