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Elsie Pickles #4

Magic Elsa: Una bruja en invierno

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Magenta Sharp has vanished from her magical tower in Crookfinger forest and no one knows how to find her.
But with a mysterious stranger setting his sights on the empty tower and an unexpected snowstorm causing chaos, Elsie and her friends need to track down Magenta, and fast!
Can Elsie’s new witchy skills help save the day? Or is Magenta gone for good?

A fun and charming series, perfect for fans of Amelia Fang, Isadora Moon and The Worst Witch from the bestselling author Kaye Umansky.

216 pages, Board Book

Published September 7, 2023

1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read

About the author

Kaye Umansky

203 books37 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.2k reviews456 followers
December 23, 2020
Snow, snow and lots of jangle bells! Elsie has a whole new snowy adventure waiting for her!


It took very long to get this book as the date kept being moved forward. I was already thinking I would just get the ebook instead. But decided on waiting as I just like reading physical books more. But I was definitely crossing my fingers that this book wouldn’t be pushed to another month again.

In this one winter has come and snow is everywhere. Filling the streets of Elsie’s town until you cannot get out. I have never been snowed in, and while this was a bit too much for me. I wouldn’t mind being snowed in once. Just being able to do nothing. Just cosy up with a book and something warm. Though I would love to do what Elsie could do, teleport to the library. Ah, that would be awesome, though sadly we live in 2020 and that means alarm systems. 😛 Though if I had magic I would just disable those. Teehee. 😛

And then the adventure starts when Elsie learns that Magenta has disappeared! Someone has to look after the tower because a tower without a witch isn’t a happy tower and who knows who or what will take over? I just loved that Elsie was all in for the adventure, and I had a bigger laugh that Nuisance was also excited about it (yes, we get his thoughts a few times in this book).

It is time to figure out what is happening! Not just with Magenta, oh no, the snow is also a magical event. Jack Frost, who I always thought was a nice guy, was actually a villain. On the run. And he loves wreaking havoc and snow and ice. He is terrible towards his kids, and I can so understand why his wife stays home and doesn’t care about all the ice. She wants cosy and warmth. Jack Frost knows about the tower and wants it. Yep, you can imagine excitement a plenty.

We also see the POV of our weird Aggie/Sylphine. I am normally not that big of a fan of her because of how she acts and the things that happened in an earlier book, but she did have some good moments here. I love how she was with Tracy.

I just love that last parts of the book. With Elsie and her fabulous plan, what happened to Jack Frost, how we find out what is going on with Magenta (I KNEW IT), Elsie and what she is now at the end, and all the other parts. Love love loved it! Now I cannot wait for the next book and see what happens then. I already was hyped but with that ending? Even more!

The illustrations are top notch again and I loved them so much.

All in all, a wonderful book to read and perfect for this holiday season. If I cannot get snow here… I will just read about snow. 😛 Recommend to all!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Profile Image for Christina Reid.
1,220 reviews77 followers
February 24, 2020
I love this series! Elsie Pickles in such a perfect protagonist and everything Kaye Umansky writes is warm and pitch-perfect. Every time a new book in this series comes out I snatch it up, only being disappointed that each book is so short.
I liked meeting Jack Frost and his family in this book, as well as seeing Elsie growing into her powers as a witch and re-uniting with favourite characters from previous books.
The ending of this book is quite abrupt and sets things up for yet another story - hope it's out soon!
Profile Image for Judy Wollin.
Author 10 books8 followers
July 16, 2025
I enjoyed this fantasy novel. The characters were engaging, and their names were funny. I particularly liked the dog.
Elsie is a beginner witch adn quite good too. She finds her village snowed in and goes to her witch mentor, Magenta, to find out what is going on. She discovers Magenta has disappeared and decides to search for her. While searching, she discovers a much bigger problem. Jack Frost is on teh run adn trying to move into Magenta's castle. Elsie must keep him out.
Recommended for readers aged 8 years or more.
Profile Image for Book Inspector.
281 reviews6 followers
February 13, 2020
The protagonist in this story would be Elsie, a girl, who can do a few magical spells. She is only beginning to learn how to do magic, with the help of a great witch Magenta. I really liked Elsie, she is smart but kind little witch, that is not afraid of adventures. I really liked all the characters chosen for the book, they are all different and interesting to read about. They all have their moods, that make them special and memorable.

The narrative of this novel was easy, adventurous and entertaining. This book is not very long, and it is filled with beautiful illustrations. The narrative is quite surprising, and it has interesting turns and unexpected surprises. I absolutely loved the magical larder, that makes any dish/food you wish for. (I need this in my life!!! 😀 ) The story is told from multiple perspectives, and I really liked to get to know these magical characters.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere that the author set for this book, it is filled with snow, forests and frost. I love all these things in winter! 🙂 I really liked the writing style of this book as well, the whole story flows effortlessly, it is smooth and very enjoyable. Even though it is a part of the series, I think it can be read as a standalone as well, I just need to control my need to read the other books. 😀 The chapters are a little to the long side, but they are divided into smaller parts, and because of illustrations, it is a quick read. I liked the ending of this book, I think it rounded up this story very nicely.

To conclude, it was a very fun book, filled with magical and memorable characters as well as a very well delivered plot. If you are looking for a wintery read, filled with snow and adventures, this is a great book for this.
Profile Image for Eve L-A Witherington.
Author 80 books49 followers
February 4, 2020
In this winter story about Elsie and her witch friend Magenta, we see how Magenta's home the tower is left alone after she disappears off seemingly overnight randomly.



As Elsie takes over care of the tower after being summoned to, she and her friends Sylphine and Joe soon realise that trouble is about as Jack Frost is looking to take over the tower for himself, can the friends stop him?



I did feel it was bridging the gap until the next book as it wasn't as drama filled as the last books but it was a great winter themed read especially with Jack frost being in it too causing a lot of mayhem. It was nice to read another take about the friends and to see how they stick together through the tough times.
Profile Image for Tammie.
830 reviews
December 1, 2021
Read- December 2021
- It's been a long while since I read a book in this series and tbh I forgot how fun they are. I really enjoyed this one and I read it at the perfect time. The atmosphere was great.
Profile Image for Nick Delafontaine.
113 reviews
January 30, 2024
Een leuke laatste deel in deze reeks, leuk om tijdens deze dagen te lezen. Het is wel te voelen dat Umansky een beetje uitgeschreven geraakt. De humor is minder aanwezig en de plots zijn minder verassend. De eerste twee boeken uit de reeks blijven de betere.
Profile Image for Emily T.
696 reviews1 follower
March 16, 2020
I really enjoy this series. They’re so sweet and full of magic and family. A joy to read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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