Geez, I flipped through this book so many times as a kid. I was fascinated by the black snow falling over the witch's house and her mission to help Santa Claus . . . IN SPAAAAAACEEEE! ( )

The friendly witch from Norman Bridwell's The Witch Next Door returns in this second picture-book adventure, this time observing all of the customs of Christmas. Narrated by one of the witch's child neighbors, the narrative describes the witch's participation in Christmas tree decorating, caroling, and gift shopping. On Christmas Eve night, the witch comes to the aid of Santa and some astronauts, who have run into each other in space...

Originally published in 1970, The Witch's Christmas is the second of Bridwell's five picture-books about this character, but the third I have read, after The Witch Next Door and The Witch's Vacation. Of the three, it is the one I have enjoyed most. The story conclusion, in which the witch comes to the aid of Santa, reminded me of more recent witchy Christmas tales, from James Brown's Jingle Spells to Wendy Dickson's Wilfrieda the Witch Helps Santa. The artwork here is cute, although (as with the other titles) a lit too cartoonish in style for my taste. My favorite element, visually speaking, was the witch's Christmas tree-style hat. Although not destined to become a personal favorite, either as a witchy picture-book or as a Christmas tale, this was still quite fun, and is one I would recommend to fans of the Witch Next Door series. ( )