Little witch,
Little broom.
Brand-new gift,
Brand-new moon.
Little witch is so excited by her new present for Halloween night - a new broom! But learning to fly a broom is harder than you think, especially when you're just a little witch. Will witch and broom learn how to work together to fly up high in the sky? A sweet and silly rhyming story full of gentle Halloween fun!
July 1, 2022
PreS-Gr 1-An eager young Black witch mounts her broom for the very first time, hoping to ride through the air with the older, wiser witches. Unfortunately, her inexperience leads to a difficult takeoff, and the mischievous broom breaks free, leading her on a wild goose chase into a nearby pond. With a little resilience, she gets up and tries again, this time successfully taking off and soaring. Murray provides the plucky heroine with a visual link to her environment by clothing her in jewel-bright pinks and purples, warm yellows, and cool turquoise, all hues found in the enchanting twilight world around her. George's rhyming quatrains, however, begin to feel repetitive (nearly all beginning with either "Little witch" or "Little broom"), the predictable rhythm of the lines contributing to the sense of monotony. For a lyrically stronger treatment of a similar premise, see Alison McGhee and Taeeun Yoo's Only a Witch Can Fly. VERDICT The art will appeal to young readers in this poetically lackluster but visually sparkling execution of an enchanting premise.-Jonah Dragan
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2022
A little witch learns how to fly a broom after some initial wobbles and woes. Under a full moon, the excited witch heads out for her first flight. This maiden voyage isn't easy, and she has to break out her wand to stop the runaway broom. Eventually, the little witch and the little broom work together, and she carefully tries to fly again. George's simple, rhyming text bounces along. The brown-skinned, pink-haired witch is utterly adorable. Her ensemble alone imbues her with personality, from her forest-green outfit to her flower-laden oversize hat to her magenta boots. The young witch's expressions are used to great effect. A particularly compelling layout shows bright blue tears brimming in her eyes as she watches other flying witches silhouetted against the moon. The palette largely includes deep shades of purple with gold and blue-green complements. There are no specific references to Halloween, but pumpkins appear in the backgrounds on some pages. The storyline is very much in the spirit of a child learning to ride a bike for the first time; there are struggles and frustrations at first, but ultimately the young witch is exuberant as she successfully takes off. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Vibrant illustrations and a relatable message. (Picture book. 3-6)
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