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"Little Witch's Big Night" is a guided reading book that I was able to use when I was in my mentor teacher's classroom. In class we used it to teach the students about sequencing, and I could really see myself doing that in my own classroom. ( )

Little Witch’s Big Night presents an amusing and comical message of: being good will get you punished; where in reality, being kind to others, and being yourself will make your life a more prosperous one. And in my opinion, the language, illustrations, and characters, throughout this children’s fictional story, all help support this message.

I have to start off by saying I love the language that was chosen for this children’s book; it is fun and creative. For example, because little witch enjoys making her bed and cleaning her room, she is punished for doing good things, and Little Witches mother says, “You really must be punished…this will teach you not to be so good.” I just love the comical irony that is present in the book. Furthermore, another example to support my opinion is when Little Witch takes each trick or treater on a broom ride - the descriptive language is most definitely present and supportive through each illustration. A few examples from the text include: “WHOOSH! The broomstick shot off the porch and up into the sky,” “Bibbety boppety, Lizard soup, Broomstick, do a Loop-the-loop,” “Hocus-pocus, Peanut stew, Here’s a broomstick Ride for you!”

While the language is very descriptive, the illustrations also are very descriptive. When Little Witch took each of the trick or treaters on a broomstick ride the illustration went along with the costume of the character. For example, it was the pirates turn, and while he was on his broomstick ride with Little Witch, “…they were flying over the ocean. [And] [b]elow them was a real pirate ship!” In the illustration “Little Witch and her friend waved to the pirate captain,” who is gasping at the sight of the two on the broomstick.

Finally, without each of the characters, this book, in my opinion, wouldn’t be as great. Little Witch, first of all, is a well-rounded little girl who just wants to be kind. If her character had a different personality, the story wouldn’t work. Additionally, the mother’s character gave the book the irony it needed to become funny for the readers. And lastly, the three friends, the devil, the astronaut, and pirate contributed to Little Witch’s “best Halloween ever!” ( )

I was torn about this book. I feel as if it is appropriate for small readers and has a nice message, but I was not entirely thrilled or ready to hand this off to my little cousins any time soon. The main idea of the book is that being kind to others makes life a happy one. The illustrations are very enjoyable and fit the spooky atmosphere of halloween, though still plenty colorful in the costumes the children are shown in. However, the text is what made me so split. The silly sing-song spells that the little witch says are fun and child-like rhymes with carefully picked "nonsense words", but sometimes the things the children say do not sound like things kids would actually say to each other, so it is less relatable. ( )

Little Witch finds herself left behind on Halloween night in this first of a series of easy-readers to chronicle her adventures, having been "too good" to enjoy a night flight with Mother Witch, Grouchy Witch, and Nasty Witch. But when three trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door, and Little Witch has no candy to give them, she ends up taking, not one, but three flights, and making some new friends in the process.

With simple text - Little Witch's Big Night is part of Random House's Step Into Reading series, third level ("Reading On Your Own," Grades 1-3) - and cute illustrations, this little book would make an ideal introduction to Halloween literature for the newly independent reader. There are a number of sequels - Happy Birthday, Little Witch, Little Witch's Bad Dream, etc. - so children who enjoy the story and like the character will be able to proceed accordingly. ( )