by Kyle Beaudette
Illustrations by the author
Eye of Newt Books, Inc.
2023
32 pages
ISBN: 9781777791811
Quirky illustrations, funny characters, and a nod to old-fashioned fairy tales, The Garden Witch is a sure winner. This picture book will NOT sit on the shelf. Smart librarians will purchase several copies. It's that great!
End pages give a nod to 1960s children's book and include a bookplate where readers can enter their name "This book belongs to..." fill in the blank. Poor witch lives alone with three very mean rats. They are lazy and call the witch names even though she cooks for them, gives them a place to live and cares for them. When Witch goes to market to sell her potions, no one visits her booth. Defeated the witch returns home. She faces the evil rat trio. They tell her to hurry up and feed them, and if she doesn't listen to them, they threaten they will eat her!
The witch tends her garden, seeking solace. She talks to her plants, telling them her woes. The garden uses its magic to grow a little turnip-boy. The Turnip is polite and cleans the house and agrees to go with the witch to the market to help her sell her wares. People are enthralled by the magic dancing turnip-boy and witch sells out of product.
Returning home, the rats order the witch around. She doesn't let them eat her, in fact, she cooks and eats them! Witch and her turnip-boy have many happy years together and make a fortune at the market each week.
The illustrations are quirky, clever and fun. The rhyming text begs to be read out loud. Savvy parents will do voices for the witch, the turnip-boy and the rats, causing young readers to giggle and ask for this story again and again. Beaudette is Canadian, so spelling is English, i.e., omelette, and "bum" is used for bottom.
What a fun book! So different, no unique in the crowded picture book space. This is a gem of a book. A must-have, must-read ages 2 and up.
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