Elizabeth Brokamp

The witchy mother-daughter duo who first appeared in Elizabeth Brokamp's The Picky Little Witch return in this follow-up, once again unable to agree on anything. Excited to begin school, the Picky Little Witch and her mother head to Witches-R-Us department store, but their efforts to buy school supplies seem doomed. While Mama Witch favors the traditional - black cape, pointed hat, button-up boots, wooden broom - the Picky Little Witch wants just the opposite - rainbow cape, green beret, velcro boots, motorized broom with sparkly seat. It takes a perceptive saleslady and a basket of kittens (one white, one black) to get them to compromise...

I read Brokamp's first picture-book about this pair a few years ago, and was unaware that there was a sequel until recently. Given my interest in witchy picture-books, I immediately requested Back to School, Picky Little Witch!, once I discovered its existence. All in all, my reaction to it was similar to that I had to its predecessor. I thought the story was sweet, and the artwork cute, if a bit too cartoon-like for my taste. The text, which sometimes rhymes and sometimes doesn't, is occasionally awkward, but not unbearably so. The illustrations, done by Peter J. Welling, were (according to a brief note at the front) "inspired by character created by Marsha Riti," who worked on the first book. I don't know that I found them as appealing as the Riti, but then, I'm struggling to recall particulars. I wish I had the two books together, so I could contrast and compare them. This was a low three star title for me, but despite that fact, I would recommend it to fans of the first book, as well as to those looking for unusual back-to-school stories.… (más)

A picky little witch turns up her nose at the Halloween soup her mother has made, appalled by the list of ingredients, from toenail of bat to wings of gnat. Finally convinced to give it a try, she discovers to her surprise that it isn't that bad! Then, when she and her mother go trick-or-treating, and the little witch collects all kinds of wonderful goodies, it is her mother's turn to be disgusted. Who wants to try a chocolate bar, after all!?! Fortunately, just as mother managed to convince daughter to try something new, so the daughter convinces the mother...

Published this past summer, The Picky Little Witch is a book I have been looking forward to reading for a few months now. It finally became available through my public library system this past weekend (just in time for Halloween!), and I promptly picked up my copy. I don't know if my reading was influenced by my high expectations - I have an ongoing witchy picture-book project, and am always thrilled when new titles become available! - but although I found this story of a mother and daughter both learning to try new things sweet, I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be. Still, I don't want to overstate the matter: although this is not destined to become one of my favorite witchy tales, the rhyming text is fun (although a little difficult to read), and the artwork is cute, in a cartoon-like way.… (más)