Author Anne Civardi and illustrator Graham Philopt deliver a truly wacky witching extravaganza in this rollicking romp of a picture-book. Set in Cackle Town, the main narrative follows Warty Witch as she sets out to throw a Halloween bash like no other. The rhyming text sets the scene - "In Cackle Town it's getting dark. / The sun has set o'er Broomstick Park. / The moon is full, the stars are bright, / There's witchy work to do tonight" - before describing Warty's house, the beginning of her night (she wakes at 8 o'clock), and her various errands around town. These include trips to Batty's Ugly Parlour for a wig, to Peggy's Pet Shop (run by peg-legged Peggy) for a few critters, and to Grewsome Gardens for the ingredients she needs for her spells. After some time at Charmless School, under the instruction of Miss Spelling, as well as a visit to Witch Way Flying School, Warty heads home to brew her potions and to prepare for a Halloween party the likes of which Cackle Town has never seen...

Although I consider myself something of an aficionado of witchy picture-books, which are a perennial pet project of mine, and although I have long been aware of The Wacky Book of Witches, it has taken me some time to track it down. Unfortunately out of print, it has never been available at any of my local libraries, and I finally had to request it through inter-library loan - a process that has now, happily, borne fruit. This is really a wonderful book, full of such extraordinary visual detail, so many witchy elements, and so many amusing puns, that the reader can get lost, trying to take everything in. I had to look at each two-page spread multiple times, reading all of the extra bits of text - titles of books, potion ingredients, signs around town, etc. - and then examining all of the witches, creatures and objects depicted. There were many scenes I enjoyed, but I particularly loved the cross-section view of Warty's house, which requires the reader to turn the book on its side, and look at it vertically:



In addition to all of its other engrossing qualities, there is also a search-and-find element to the book, with an elfin character to be found on each two-page spread, somewhere in the details. It seems a great shame to me that this book is out of print, and so difficult to obtain, as it is so entertaining, and provides such witchy fun. I wish someone would reprint it, but in the meantime, I will keep an eye out for a used copy of my own! Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy witchy fare on the spookier side, as well as to those who appreciate books with detailed illustrations over which they can pore. ( )

WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY.

I found it.

Years ago, when I was a little girl, I spent hours pouring over the pages of a beautifully illustrated book about witches. The witches are getting ready for Halloween, and it's a process.

It had full page foldouts of their houses, tattered and worn, falling to bits, covered in rats and venus fly traps. Their bathrooms were covered in spider's legs for mascara, when they went shopping for pets they purchased newts, dragons and snakes. What I adored was how detailed it was.

I could read every label, every book spine, spend hours finding new little details each time.

Mem Fox, an Australian author says writing children's books aren't easy because you spend all your time looking for the ones you read as a child to read to them.

And this is one I will read to my children.

I just ordered it secondhand off Amazon and yo, I'm excited. I have no idea the condition it will be in when it gets here but I'm hopeful.

I hope everyone has a day like this. ( )