Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest

by Phoebe Wahl

An earthy and beautiful collection of four stories that celebrate the seasons, nature, and life, from award-winning author-illustrator Phoebe Wahl.

Little Witch Hazel is a tiny witch who lives in the forest, helping creatures big and small. She's a midwife, an intrepid explorer, a hard worker and a kind friend.

In this four-season volume, Little Witch Hazel rescues an orphaned egg, goes sailing on a raft, solves the mystery of a haunted stump and makes house calls to fellow forest dwellers. But when Little Witch Hazel needs help herself, will she get it in time?

Little Witch Hazel is a beautiful ode to nature, friendship, wild things and the seasons that only Phoebe Wahl could create: an instant classic and a book that readers will pore over time and time again.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Nature, Fiction, Witches, Graphic Novels

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2021

Reviews

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was my first foray into phoebe's work and holy shit!! i can't believe she isn't more popular. i requested my library purchase this book and was so pleased when it showed up in my holds because i saw it as a recommendation for a fat main character in a fantasy world. boy was i not let down!!

phoebe is a precious little witch living amongst fairies and mice and friends, and each of these four little stories focuses on a new season. i read all of them back to back and was weeping a bit at how they all folded together, and how dreamy and precious each storyline was paired with the cozy art style.

i can absolutely see myself rereading this every season and it made me wish there was a little kid to share it with. so absolutely precious.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spend a delightful year with Little Witch Hazel as she hatches an owlet, learns to relax, and investigates a mysterious noise. Wahl's lovely, detail-packed artwork highlights all the wonders each season has to offer - from special activities to the changing landscape.

Hazel seems more gnome than witch, and she's more of an herbalist than a spell-caster. The non-scary forest she inhabits is filled with magical folk, making this a sweet and gentle read-aloud for even the smallest humans.

This title releases on September 21st, and already has the look and feel of a classic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. I can't wait to get my own copy!

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sweetest book. Through all the seasons Little Witch Hazel has adventures in the forest helping animals and friends. Perfect for Waldorf or forest nature loving families. The illustrations are gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful in so many ways.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is like the most beautiful picture book I've ever read. I bought this on a whim for my 7-month-old (who is admittedly more into eating books rather than reading them) and I'm so glad I did!

Little Witch Hazel is who I want to be when I grow up, a stout chubby lady with hairy legs and a big pointy red hat living in a cozy little house in the forest helping her fellow creatures. There are four stories in the book, one for each season. They all evoke the season so viscerally. The illustrations are sooo beautiful and full of tiny gem details (for example, in two page spread of creatures floating on leaves on a pond, one of the tiny elves is breastfeeding a baby).

[Sunny Lu]

So fucking beautiful

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author/illustrator Phoebe Wahl follows the eponymous Little Witch Hazel through the four seasons in this delightful picture storybook, depicting a woodland world full of enchantment and friendship. In Spring: The Orphaned Egg, Hazel cares for an abandoned egg, raising Otis the owl when he hatches. Summer: The Lazy Day sees our witchy heroine attempting to get some work done, only to finally give in to the relaxation and pleasure-seeking of her peers. Autumn: The Haunted Stump sees Hazel and her friends investigating a very spooky sound, and making a new friend in the process. Finally, in Winter: The Blizzard, Hazel finds herself the one in need of help, after her many good deeds aiding all of her friends. Fortunately, Otis is nearby, and all ends well...

Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest is the first book I have read from Wahl, but I certainly hope it will not be the last! I had never heard of her before having this one recommended to me, so I am glad to have that oversight corrected, as her story was engaging and her artwork simply charming. I sought this one out (and had it recommended to me) largely on the strength of my interest in witchy picture-books, but having now read it, I think Hazel is less of a witch, in the traditional sense, and more of an elf or woodland sprite. Her "magic" consists of herbal concoctions and traditional healing, rather than casting spells or enchantments. Of course, I suppose one could argue that the figure of the witch initially does come from the Wise Woman herbalist/healer archetype, so perhaps Hazel is a witch after all. Whatever the case might be, she makes an appealing little heroine, and I hope that Wahl will revisit her world, with its cast of animals and magical creatures, and its days of fun and friendship. I was reminded a bit here of the work of such greats as Elsa Beskow, as well as such books as Marilyn Nickson and Fritz Baumgartne's Nicky and His Forest Friends . Highly recommended to young fairy-tale enthusiasts, or picture-book readers who enjoy seasonal stories with some magic in them.

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this picture book and the adorable chubby main character who is now my life inspiration. I will be buying prints to put on my walls. 10/10 recommend to everyone, whether you have kids or not.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Little Witch Hazel is a delightfully sweet children's book of four stories about a little witch called Hazel. Hazel is tiny and lives in the forest with her friends and neighbours all around her. Hazel makes trips to visit her patients and friends and always cares for and tends to others. The last story relates to the first story about an owl called Otis and is such a lovely heartwarming story to end the book on.
The illustrations are really beautiful and interesting with lots of detail and things to discover.
This is a fantastic book to share again and again with children.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It somehow manages to feel nostalgic and contemporary. It's full of the old-fashioned charm and magic of fairies; talking animals; witches who heal; adorable little homes made in the base of tree trunks, mushrooms, old shoes... everything I loved as a girl, yet it also feels modern (for example, mousepappa staying home with the little ones; fairies with a variety of skin tones). Both illustrations and storytelling are so well-done. I found it utterly enchanting and by the last story, I just wanted to hug it.
Note if you have sensitive youngsters that the autumn chapter has a bit of a spooky focus where there is a strange moaning sound heard and characters wondering as to whether any scary monsters/creatures are making it (the images of what is being imaged might be frightening to some) though what it turns out to be is nothing scary and provides an opportunity for kindness and compassion.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Witch Hazel hearkens back to another era of picture books. You won't find any bright colours or sleek lines here. Instead, the coloured-pencil textures evoke the spirit of some early picture books by author-illustrators such as Wanda Gág. The book includes four short stories, one for each season. In "The Orphaned Egg", the diminutive witch finds a rather large egg in the woods and takes it home to keep it safe. In "The Lazy Day", Little Witch Hazel has chores to do and can't understand how everyone else has so much free time. In "The Haunted Stump", the witch and her friends try to figure out the mystery of a strange howl that's permeating their usually placid forest. And in "The Blizzard", the tiny witch provides healing care to the inhabitants of the forest, only to be caught unawares by a blizzard... at which point the stories come full circle with a resolution that's simple yet satisfying.

I'm not entirely sure how a book like this will play to a modern child audience. As an adult, though, I found it charming, with decent writing and good messages. I enjoyed the little details in the illustrations (such as Little Witch Hazel's hairy legs) and found the limited colour palette refreshing.

Overall, this is a strong picture book. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy stories about witches of the non-spooky variety, as well as to those who like picture books with a more classic feel.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only question I wanted answered was why was this witch so little, and the book does not address that at all. Instead we just march through the four seasons doing a whole lot of nothing except walking around a tiny village peopled with all sorts of elves, gnomes, and forest critters.

Any point to this simply eludes me. Bore kids to sleep at bedtime?

p.s., Oh crap! This was just published last year? I thought it was some old junk from the 1940s.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

stop glamorizing the grind and start normalizing being a little witch in the forest with your fairy and animal friends

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

something about phoebe wahl’s artwork is so beautiful, i want it all framed!! and the storytelling is so kind and sweet and lovely, i want to live in this world!!

also, just realized me reading children’s books is actually me doing research for my new job as a children’s librarian so this is really intelligent of me actually.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, beautiful, witty to boot

[Julia]

Yes I am logging a children’s book, I don’t care!! Still not going to make my reading goal anyway. Phoebe Wahl’s illustrations are sooooo cute, I couldn’t help myself after reading Phoebe’s Diary.

[Jenna Duvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t care if this is a kid’s book. The stories and the illustrations were all so cozy and sweet!

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spring - The Orphaned Egg

"One afternoon, as Little Witch Hazel made her way home, she found something peculiar. And orphaned egg! the little witch thought."

Little Witch Hazel lives in a beautiful, vibrant forest and has fashioned her home in an old stump. After waiting to see if someone would claim the egg, Little Witch Hazel decides to take it home and raise it herself. Soon the egg hatches and a great big POOF of a bird joins her life. Otis (the Owl) is a wonderful companion (if a bit big). We get to see Little Witch Hazel raise the little owl and then, when the time is right, let Otis live his life.

Summer - The Lazy Day

"Some of us have errands to run!" she muttered as she went to return her library books.

There's so much to do! Little Witch Hazel is running here, there, and anywhere to get it all done...and everyone she meets wants her to kick back and relax. The Librarian is out, and the mailman and the cobbler were similarly unavailable. So, she decides to pick berries...and then her friends finally stop by and ask her to relax with them. She really shouldn't, but maybe (just maybe) one day off wouldn't be too bad?

Autumn - The Haunted Stump

"It was the kind of noise that sent prickles through your whiskers and chilled you right down to your boots."

Little Witch Hazel was tending her garden when a mysterious "Oooooo" noise swept through her little plot of land. It scared the Mole Sisters, and all the mice living in the Mouse House, and even the Newt. Everyone being frightened helped Little Witch Hazel feel brave - and so she marches on to find out the cause of the noise! But when she does figure it out, would she be able to help??

Winter - The Blizzard

"Her day was so busy that Little Witch Hazel hadn't noticed the weather changing. Milky clouds now hung low and heavy in the darkening sky..."

Little Witch Hazel spent the day visiting and caring for various people in creatures around her town. As she sets off for home, the snow started coming down. And wow, did it land hard and fast. It quickly went up to her knees, then the temperatures plummeted. Poor Little Witch Hazel had no way of getting home...until a feathered friend came to the rescue!

Overall Thoughts

What can I say? I loved it.

There's something so nostalgic and endearing when I read around-the-season books.

I also love little towns and homes built into the land for gnomes, fairies and anthropomorphic animals to live in. I have so much fun peeking into their lives, especially Little Witch Hazel.

The illustrations were an unique blocky, chunky style that still lent itself to rather nice detail for the characters' expressions. Overall, this was a really fun one!

[Sophie Ligaya dela Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

TELL ME WHY I WAS WEEPING THE WHOLE TIME WHILE I WAS READING THIS BOOK BDHSJSJSHAJAJ

welcome to the cottagecore generation!

little witch hazel was gorgeous and pleasant, as every children’s book should be. (this is the pinnacle!) the wonderfully intricate double-page illustration spreads never failed to make me gasp in delight.

and on top of that, I appreciated the diversity of skin tones and body types depicted in this book. (AND LITTLE WITCH HAZEL HERSELF HAS LEG HAIR. BONA-FIDE LEG HAIR. I LOVED THAT!) everyone has a place in this little alcove of the forest.

little witch hazel was equal parts exciting and peaceful. I’m buying a copy of little witch hazel for my once and future kids, should I have children in the next twenty years of my life

this was a privilege to read

thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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[flopsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i accidentally clicked a star rating for this book while i was looking through my to-read list, and i was too lazy to clear the activity so i decided to read it online in that same moment. the spring, summer, and winter stories were somewhat underwhelming (i love plotless stories, and the writing was both sophisticated and adorable, so i don't really know why i found them underwhelming. i might be in a funny mood) but the illustrations of everything made me sooo happy i love the art!! they're the kind of illustrations that truly encourage wonder and creativity in children, and they make me want to spend a lot more time in the woods than i do. i wonder who the author's biggest inspirations are for art and illustration. i loved the Postgnome hehe. i love the worldbuilding. i love the way the author draws characters, especially their faces and expressions. i loved the autumn story so, so much; it was so engaging and well-written. my only true critique is that some of the characters in the background of the summer story wore immodest outfits, which i didn't like, but i guess it's not so bad because they're fairies and stuff. for this reason i'd have to spend time contemplating whether i'd want this book to be read by my own children. i loved reading it, though!

[Stay Fetters · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Little Witch Hazel blew a kiss to the sky and hoped that someday they would meet again."

Little Witch Hazel was such a sweet story. This takes place during all four seasons and they each contain their own little story. She hatches a random egg she finds in the woods, learns how to relax and take a break, she investigates an eerie noise, and in the end she gets help from an old friend.

All of these stories touch you deeply. They were so sweet and oh so very cute. The art was so adorable. The art and the story combined made me easily fall in love. I need more mini stories with Little Witch Hazel.

Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest was phenomenal. It was absolutely adorable and it touches your heart. It’s the absolute cutest and I can’t wait to read more from this author. This book actually shows you what a softy I really am. Tell no one!

[Cheryl Gladfelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a GEM. Got a lovely Frog and Toad vibe from this book. A delight.

Updated 6/2024: both kids LOVED this book. I never get tired of reading it. So special.

[Drululu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precioso, una cucada. las ilustraciones son muy bonitas y vemos a Hazel interactuar con los animales y seres del bosque en cuatro capítulos, uno por cada estación.

[Maquel Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cozy and sweet. Kids book but so charming.

[Haylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want little witch hazel’s wardrobe 👏🏻👏🏻give it to me 👏🏻👏🏻

[Toni Salvatore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous! I don't normally post the picture books I read on here, but this one is awesome. I can see this character inspiring a whole series of books.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wholesome! Thanks Jessey for the book rec :)

[the reading teacup | ~☕️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was/is a gift from me to myself with so much love🤍.. may it always be a reminder to:
•find little whimsies around (& year round) ✨
•all the good you give comes back to you🫂
•it’s okay to take a breath & slow down! ☕️

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. I just snorted pure oxytocin. I am clasped in the arms of the free-spirited wood, and I’ll never be leaving.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Witch Hazel is a curious and kind forest explorer. She is indeed a very little witch, as even an egg is almost her same size. The reader follows Hazel through each season and is able to see her home, the forest, and all of her neighbors in different settings. We meet a lonely tiny troll, an imaginative mouse family, a friendly owl who needs a little help and later returns the favor, and many more lovely friends.

Anyone who is a fan of Elsa Beskow, Sibylle von Olfers , or David the Gnome will adore Wahl's "Little Witch Hazel" and add it to their shelves. The art is simply beautiful, and it is easy to find new little details on each read. The stories are simple in the very best way possible - they tell enough story to let your imagination fill in more details, but are still complete. I love how the spring story comes full circle in the winter story. I absolutely cannot wait to put this book in my forest school basket.
Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. I have already told several friends about this book and we are anxiously awaiting August 2021!

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra books for a free digital copy for my review.

A pleasant walk through the four seasons, this book is four vignettes of stories of Little Witch Hazel and her life in the forest. Woven with themes of friendship, seasonality, and community, this book has beautiful illustrations that are somehow at the same time simple and detailed.