10 Busy Brooms

August 1, 2016
Gerber (Tuck-in Time) offers a jaunty counting story as a witch with “a long, speedy broom” invites nine of her compatriots to join her for a ride. Though the rhymes often suggest the witches are in a degree of peril (“3 little witches zipping through the night/ saw a ghost haunt a witch as she jumped in fright”), Fleming (Ten Eggs in a Nest) opts for cuteness over creepiness—there’s nothing threatening about his smiling ghosts, pie-stealing mummies, and fuzzy werewolves. There’s also a pleasingly inclusive diversity to the witches: one wears a head scarf, and a range of ages and skin colors are represented. Gerber’s three-line stanzas can feel abrupt, as though they’re waiting to be completed by a fourth line that never arrives, but all in all, it’s an enjoyable celebration of witchy sisterhood. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary.

"1 little witch on a long, speedy broom" rescues eight others who are threatened by Halloween creatures...or dreary chores.Although the first witch's issue is a few cobwebs on a tomb in a graveyard, the other witches are chased by a skeleton, surprised by a ghost, disgusted by the foul breath of a werewolf, stalked by a snake, buzzed by a flying bat, or having their wares stolen by a goblin or mummy. Each rescued witch climbs onto that first, ridiculously long broom as the pages turn...and that's about it. It's easy enough to count the witches on the long broomstick, but this book really could have used something more--hidden creatures to find, more things to count, colors to name--to make it stand out. The already-weak execution of a Halloween counting book is further hampered by poor scansion that makes reading aloud a stuttering process: "5 little witches slurping supper in the sky / saw a mummy snatch another witch's pumpkin pie. / 'Ride with us!' they yelled. 'It's safer way up high.' " The 10th and final witch is met when the overloaded broom crashes in front of a witch who is obviously a child dressed for trick-or-treating (she's wearing a stereotypical green mask). Each witch is dressed in a different, bright color, and their skin tones, hairstyles, and ages are satisfyingly diverse; two sport glasses. A Halloween counting book that doesn't add up to much. (Picture book. 2-5) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Ten diverse witches take flight on Halloween night as they avoid nonthreatening monsters in this numerical concept book. Awkward rhyming stanzas accompany each page spread, starting with the number one, and climb higher as each adorable little witch escapes whatever trouble is brewing below her. Bright and cheerful artwork wars with vocabulary that conjures a degree of spookiness that never comes to fruition. For example, when a ghost haunts "a witch as she jump[s] in fright," both are smiling at each other as if they're old friends. As each witch hops on her broom to evade trouble, she brings with her an item that travels with her throughout the rest of the story. This may be a black cat, an owl, or even a pie (one witch is a baker). It becomes quite crowded on the page toward the end. As a concept book for small children, this selection will be rather cumbersome without ritualized dialogue support from an adult. VERDICT A cute but ultimately flawed additional selection for libraries in need of updating their Halloween collections.-Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

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