Wee Witches

by Beth Roth, Ted Enik (Illustrator)

This ABC primer is a playful and richly symbolic introduction to the world of Wicca and the magic of Nature. Illustrated poems bring to light the Pagan Path, with each letter featuring a Wee Witch learning about the wheel of the year, tools of the Craft, rites of passage, faerie friends, and meaningful colors. This is a helpful and affirming tool for Pagan families, as well as an appealing collection of subtle, educational light verse for their budding Wee Witches, including A for Acorn, M for Maypole, and S for Spiderweb. Accurate symbols of Witches' worldview are woven throughout the magical artwork, as well as hidden clues to a secret "Witch Name" revealed at the end of the book

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2019

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Co-authors Beth Roth and Ted Enik explore the "Pagan Path" in this rhyming alphabet book for "wee witches," describing some of the seasonal observances of the pagan year (Yule, Midsummer), some of the objects used in pagan rituals (wands, brooms), and some of the animal companions they keep (cats, frogs). A range of wee witches are depicted in the artwork, contributed by Enik, each of whom have the same witchy name (Moon Moth). There are hints in the illustrations, as to what that name might be...

As someone who has an interest in the depiction of witches in children's illustrated books - witchy picture-books and early readers, for the most part - I was immediately drawn to Wee Witches, when I saw the cover. I was pleased to discover that it was a book meant for pagan children, as it is only the second explicitly pagan children's book I have stumbled across, following upon Catherynne M. Valente's Smoky and the Feast of Mabon: A Magical Child Story , published back in 2010. I am not a pagan myself, although I certainly can appreciate that tradition's love of the natural world, but I am aware that there are quite a few of them in the United States now, and it has always struck me that they are one of the most under-represented religious communities, when it comes to children's literature. I was glad, therefore, to discover this title, which I was able to recommend to a woman at work, who was looking for pagan books. That said, I have no idea which tradition the book represents (there are multiple types of paganism), or how accurately it does so. The back matter describes Beth Roth as a life-long pagan, so hopefully it does a good job in this respect. I did find the rhyming text engaging, and thought the artwork was lovely. Recommended to anyone looking for pagan children's books.