Lulu and the Witch Baby

by Jane O'Connor, Bella Sinclair (Illustrator)

Overview

It's just not fair! No matter what a mess she makes, nobody ever gets mad at Witch Baby. Nobody except Lulu Witch, who cooks a magic brew that makes her baby sister disappear. But then she begins to worry that Mama Witch will get mad—very mad. Can Lulu wish Witch Baby back? Beginning readers will love this beautifully repackaged thirty-two-page edition of the classic tale from Fancy Nancy author Jane O'Connor about children learning to welcome new siblings, now with brand-new illustrations by Bella Sinclair.

With plenty of humor and witchy magic, Lulu and the Witch Baby is a level two I Can Read book, perfect for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062305169
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	07/22/2014
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	95,138
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.19(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jane O’Connor is an editor at a major publishing house who has written more than seventy books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy series. She resides (that’s fancy for lives) with her family in New York City.

Bella Sinclair is an artist who enjoys the sun in Southern California with two bewitching girls of her own and one neurotic pooch. She has also illustrated Ava's Secret Tea Party by Donna J. Shepherd.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2014
K-Gr 2—Lulu is not happy. She glowers at her sister as she receives her baby gifts: a bat rattle from Aunt Boo Boo, a witch doll with a broomstick from Cousin Hazel, and a Dracula-in-the-box from Uncle Fuzzy. Her sister's annoying behaviors also receive no consequences from her parents; "'Witch Baby is just a baby,'" explains her mother. Left in charge of her sibling, Lulu Witch reaches her wit's end when the child destroys her favorite piece of artwork. The older girl creates a witchy concoction, though she is missing the 17th cat hair she needs for her spell, and she attempts in vain to make her sibling disappear. When she finally believes her spell is successful, Lulu Witch is immediately repentant. Quickly reunited with her little sister, Lulu Witch learns to appreciate her sibling. Though the story transitions a little too quickly for nuanced character development, this tale is appropriate for emerging readers. Cartoon illustrations with darker colors reinforce the brief story line. With barely a touch of spookiness, there's no spell about it—this is a standard treatment of the dynamics found in sibling relationships.—Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

School Library Journal

2014-07-17
Newly independent readers with younger siblings will be sympathetic with Lulu Witch's frustrations concerning Witch Baby and amused when her remedial potion and spell deliver unexpected results. With Witch Baby around, Lulu does not get the attention she once did. Witch Baby gets all the presents, Mama Witch has no time to watch Lulu fly on her broom, and Daddy Witch is too busy to fix Lulu's dollhouse. Everyone is focused on Witch Baby even when she does bad things. When Mama Witch asks Lulu to watch the baby while she runs an errand, Lulu sees her chance, finding a recipe for a magic brew to make her little sister disappear. At first the potion does not seem to work, but then Witch Baby is nowhere to be found. Lulu's initial moment of triumph is quickly replaced by worry, then remorse. What will happen when Mama comes home? This reissue of O'Connor's classic tale (originally illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully in 1986) has new illustrations by Sinclair with a retro feel, charming with comic details. Industrious mice scurry about many of the pages, worms crawl out of an overturned cauldron, and Mama Witch knits with freshly spun spider silk. Share this well-designed story with those grappling with sibling issues or with a small group come October. Truly, it is a good title to pick up anytime. (Early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews