Common Sense Media Review
Too scary for most picture book readers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Rosina the witch wants a child and turns to magic to make her dream come true.
Is It Any Good?
Jos Smith's illustrations perfectly suit the book: The story opens with the witch floating through crooked trees looking like any kid's worst nightmare. Yorinks is an adept storyteller and Smith is an effective illustrator, but this perfect marriage of author and illustrator just makes for a more frightening book. Read at your own risk and certainly vet before passing it on to the kids.
Arthur Yorinks is a frequent collaborator with Maurice Sendak and the men share a fascination with archetypal tales with fairy-tale elements and creepy stories that often give parents pause. While Sendak didn't join him for this story, Yorinks' fascination with the juvenile macabre is certainly on display here. It's difficult to figure out the intended audience for this creepy book about a witch who wants a child. It seems like a curiosity piece for kids old enough to want to be spooked since it's much too scary for anyone young enough to be reaching for picture books.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about familiar fairy tale themes that crop up in this book. For example, what does the witch in this book have in common with the witch in Rapunzel? Or Hansel and Gretel? Is the story of a straw child who comes to life familiar in other ways?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jos. A. Smith
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 1, 2007
- Number of pages : 32
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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