James Flora (1914–1998)

That storytelling Grandpa who first appeared in author/illustrator James Flora's 1965 Grandpa's Farm, before reprising his role in the 1978 Grandpa's Ghost Stories, returns in this spooky Christmas tale from 1982. Relating the story of his Christmas Eve adventure many years before, when he was eight years old, Grandpa tells how he encountered three terrible witches on his way home from playing at the pond, how he was transformed into a pig, and how his parents, not recognizing him, refused to let him into the house. Meeting an owl who turned out to be a magically transformed girl named Ida May, young Grandpa made the decision to seek out Peggoty, the wicked witch who had enchanted him, in order to plead for his human form to be restored. When this decision proved to be a disaster, and Grandpa was in danger of being cooked as Peggoty's Christmas dinner, a surprise savior in the form of Santa Claus saved the day...

Much as with Grandpa's Ghost Stories, I regret that I did not discover Grandpa's Witched-Up Christmas as a girl, as I suspect that it would have become a favorite. The story itself is entertaining, full of twists and turns sure to keep young readers and listeners engaged. By turns frightening and hilarious, it is a most unlikely Christmas tale, and I must confess that I laughed aloud when I got to the scene in which Santa comes to young Grandpa's aid. I see that other online reviewers were appalled by the description (and image!) of Santa choking the evil witch Peggoty until she finally got "the Christmas spirit," but I found it unexpectedly amusing. There's an absurd element to the humor here that probably will be off-putting for some readers - in less capable hands, it might have been off-putting for me as well - but in the end, the story here just worked for me. The accompanying artwork - intricate black and white drawings with green accents - is likewise very appealing, full of deliciously creepy details. The depiction of Peggoty's house is absolutely brilliant, as the structure is almost a creature in its own right. All in all, a delightfully witchy tale, one that I would recommend primarily to picture-book readers seeking such fare. That said, as someone who tends to prefer sweeter holiday stories, I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a Christmas book.… (meer)