Broom, Zoom!

August 9, 2010
A brief tussle between a girl witch and a green goblin over the use of a broom is neatly resolved in this short but absorbing story. The witch wears a too-long purple robe and a huge, pointy red hat; the goblin has ears that stick straight up and wears a diaper. Each page contains a line of monosyllabic dialogue that perfectly expresses their me-first desires. She wants the broom so she can ride up to the full moon ("Ooooooooooo!" she murmurs, gazing up at it). The goblin clutches his dustpan anxiously: "I need the broom." She responds, "I want it"; he repeats, "I need it." He opens a door to reveal spilled flour. "Yikes!" the witch says. She helps him sweep it up, then offers to give him a ride. Now it's his turn to say "Yikes!" Cohen's (Everything Is Different at Nonna's House) text carries just the right degree of force, and Ruzzier (Hey, Rabbit!) uses line and color effectively in his drawings to convey the small world in which the witch and the goblin live. Readers will easily recognize themselves in this duo. Ages 2–6.

September 1, 2010

K-Gr 2-Little Witch howls at the moon and decides that she wants to take a flight on her broom. She goes into the house where Little Monster is using it. An argument ensues. One "wants" the broom, the other one "needs" it. They go back and forth until Little Monster reveals a bag of spilled flour on the floor. Then Little Witch realizes the need for the broom and helps her friend clean it up. With the job done, the two fly off into the night. The text is simple enough for beginning readers, as the characters speak in one- and two-word sentences. The illustrations were digitally created in flat, singular colors. The two friends are outlined in black, and background is minimal. Although Witch and Monster give the story a Halloween feel, it is a simple tale of cooperation and friendship, and youngsters will respond to it as such.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Preschool-K The moon is full, and Little Witch, wearing her pointy red hat, wants the broom to zoom up to it. Unfortunately, diapered green Little Monster needs the broom to clean up a spill. What does any self-respecting witch do? She removes her large, pointy red hat; helps out; and then asks for the broom, offering Little Monster a ride as well. Then theyre off: Zoooooooooooooooooom! The economical text, with an average of about two words per page, coupled with minimalist illustrations featuring only the appealing duo, a few props, and vast backgrounds filled in with large swathes of color, makes this appropriate for the youngest of audiences. Its a beginning lesson in cooperation and sharing as well as an introduction to witches and monsters. Use in toddler and preschool Halloween storytimes with Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara (2008) and Go Away Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley (1993).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)