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The Everyday Witch
One night a little boy peeps through his curtains and is horrified to see his mother fly past - on a broomstick (with Tiddles, his cat). Clearly there must be some mistake, but Jimmy doesn't want to take any chances. After consulting a book on how to identify witches, he starts looking for other telltale signs. But just as he begins to feel reassured that his mother is 'normal', Jimmy discovers the ultimate clue right under his nose: stripy stockings on the washing line. This is a fantastically warm, witty rhyming text that ever-so-gently reminds us to challenge stereotypes (even if they do steal your cat).
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2009
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 20, 2019
When Jimmy sees his mother flying past his window one night on a broom, with his cat Tiddles along for the ride, the young boy is thrown into something of a tizzy. Can his mother, a seemingly 'normal' housewife, be a witch?!? And so begins his quest to discover just what a witch is, and how one can be recognized: "He'd heard about witches from stories in books, / but could you be sure just from somebody's looks? / It's useless, he thought, I need tips on detection, / So he went to the library and looked through the section / of books about witches and folk of the night. / But none of them said how to spot one on sight." After further research, Jimmy concludes that his Mum isn't a witch, only to discover stripy stockings (a sure sign!) on the clothes line! Just what is going on? Is she or isn't she, he demands, and is met with a surprising answer...
With a rhyming text, and quirky illustrations that reminded me a little bit of Quentin Blake's work, The Everyday Witch is a cute little witchy picture-book from the UK (it is not yet available in the states - sorry folks!), and focuses, in its unique way, on a common childhood experience: the discovery that our parents aren't quite who we think they are, and that they have an existence beyond what we had previously known or been aware of. The answer to Jimmy's question - is his mother a witch? - is an interesting one: yes, she is, but not in the way he means. Or rather, yes, she is a witch, but all these conceptions of what that means are wrong.
I liked what Liz Martinez was trying to do here - at least, what I think she was trying to do - but I'm not sure the narrative always quite worked for me. The rhyming sometimes felt a little forced, and I wasn't sure that it was the best storytelling choice, overall. The artwork was attention grabbing, even if not really in a style I particularly cared for. On the other hand, there were stickers, and that's always a good thing! No one else online seems to have reviewed this one, which makes me all the more curious to know how other readers would react to it.
With a rhyming text, and quirky illustrations that reminded me a little bit of Quentin Blake's work, The Everyday Witch is a cute little witchy picture-book from the UK (it is not yet available in the states - sorry folks!), and focuses, in its unique way, on a common childhood experience: the discovery that our parents aren't quite who we think they are, and that they have an existence beyond what we had previously known or been aware of. The answer to Jimmy's question - is his mother a witch? - is an interesting one: yes, she is, but not in the way he means. Or rather, yes, she is a witch, but all these conceptions of what that means are wrong.
I liked what Liz Martinez was trying to do here - at least, what I think she was trying to do - but I'm not sure the narrative always quite worked for me. The rhyming sometimes felt a little forced, and I wasn't sure that it was the best storytelling choice, overall. The artwork was attention grabbing, even if not really in a style I particularly cared for. On the other hand, there were stickers, and that's always a good thing! No one else online seems to have reviewed this one, which makes me all the more curious to know how other readers would react to it.
March 14, 2015
Wonderful book for a Pagan mother to read to her kids, it's a lovely rhyme, I especially loved
"She believes love can heal with a power that's divine,
So she kisses you better to make you feel fine.
Her magic is ancient, her wisdoms not new;
It was used by her mother and grandmother too"
And the illustrations fit it perfectly. My son grinned all through it!
"She believes love can heal with a power that's divine,
So she kisses you better to make you feel fine.
Her magic is ancient, her wisdoms not new;
It was used by her mother and grandmother too"
And the illustrations fit it perfectly. My son grinned all through it!
September 8, 2015
Ugh! Bad rhyming scheme and drawings that look like the illustrator is trying to be Quentin Blake.
If this book is meant to be about Pagan mothers (or just Pagans in general), it sure takes a long time to get around to it. How about spending the number of pages spent of the ridiculous fairytale type of witch (which is not the misunderstood kind of witch, historically) on natural healing and holistic medicine, leaving out the bit about kissing boo boos better because all mothers kiss your boo boos, not just Pagan mothers.
This could have been such a good book on a worthy subject, had the author not wasted so much time on the "fancy dress" witch.
If this book is meant to be about Pagan mothers (or just Pagans in general), it sure takes a long time to get around to it. How about spending the number of pages spent of the ridiculous fairytale type of witch (which is not the misunderstood kind of witch, historically) on natural healing and holistic medicine, leaving out the bit about kissing boo boos better because all mothers kiss your boo boos, not just Pagan mothers.
This could have been such a good book on a worthy subject, had the author not wasted so much time on the "fancy dress" witch.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews