Wayne Carley

Invited to a Halloween party in this early reader, Mirium the witch struggles to find all of the belongings she needs, from her shoes and hat to her coat and broom. She searches her house for each item, eventually finding them all. Unfortunately, as she prepares to leave, she realizes she has forgotten where she was going, and elects to stay home instead...

Mirium the forgetful witch first appeared in 1971, in Wayne Carley's early reader, Mixed-Up Magic (The Mixed-Up Witch in paperback), illustrated by David Stone. She reprised her role in 1972, in Here Comes Mirium, The Mixed-Up Witch!, illustrated by Ted Schroeder. The Witch Who Forgot is the third and final early reader devoted to Miriam's misadventures, and is illustrated by Lou Cunette, whose witchy credits also include Ida DeLage's ABC Halloween Witch. It is a funny little book, featuring a sweet witch with a severe memory problem, and although it won't be going on any my favorites lists, it is one I am glad to have read, given my interest in witchy picture-books and early readers. Recommended to beginning readers who have enjoyed other stories about Mirium, or who like vintage witchy fare in general.… (meer)

Mirium was an elderly witch with a bit of a memory problem, and her spells suffered as a result. When she saw a sign advertising a dog show, she decided to attend, only to be told by a policeman that she needed a dog herself, if she wanted to be on the field. Her attempts to conjure a dog resulted in all kinds of chaos, as different animals - a bird, a cat, some sheep - appeared instead. When Mirium accidentally disappeared ALL the dogs in the show, could she put things right...?

Brought out in 1971 by the Garrard Publishing Company, which also released Ida DeLage's fourteen books about 'The Old Witch,' Mixed-Up Magic was also published (in that same year) as The Mixed-Up Witch. Although one edition was in hardcover and the other in paperback, I'm not really sure why it was necessary to use two different titles, but leaving that issue aside, it was a silly but engaging little witchy confection. The story and artwork, done by one David Stone, have a distinctly vintage feel to them, and the book, with its simple text and short sentences, can be used as an early reader. Recommended to anyone, especially beginning readers, who enjoys vintage witchy tales. For myself, I'll have to see about tracking down the sequel, Here Comes Mirium, The Mixed-Up Witch!… (meer)