A great story, but its more scary elements might creep down to the bones of younger children. A good toddler to preteen book if they like amazingly illustrated picture books with clues, mystery, and surprise endings. Van Allsburg used to be my 4th-grade hero of picture books, and he still is one of my heroes. But anyways, The Widow's Broom is a good book for young kids, but it's a shivery, creepy story at its core.