Druscilla's Halloweenby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Druscilla's knees are too noisy to let her sneak up on people, so she tries different methods of getting around. This leads her inventing the method of flying on a broom!This is a wonderfully cute Halloween witch story! It's beautifully illustrated and well bound, making it perfect for younger readers. Parents can enjoy reading it to their kids as well, especially since their own knees might make some of the same noises Druscilla's do! I really like seeing the different things Druscilla tries before attempting the broom, and I like that she thinks about how to take her cat and jack o' lantern with her. I don't know why she needs to take the jack o' lantern, as the other witches don't look like they're taking theirs (and it would make sneaking up on people even harder, so why would creaky knees be an issue?). The spells that she comes up with are simple and work on a rhyming principle; I like that it doesn't work on her donkey. I love the inside covers, which show portraits of witches with captions saying what they're known for. This ties in well with Druscilla's portrait at the end. I also love the art style, which is very curvy. The shading is very nice, with skies that are green, golden, or reddish brown. And I like the soft, textured look to the coloring, which keeps things from being too stark. I like that the story doesn't portray witches in a negative light, even while being entirely focused on the stereotypical green-skinned, warty witch of fairy tales. However, I wish they hadn't felt a need to point out that Druscilla scared each child "only as much as he or she wanted to be scared" -- it takes a lot of the wind out of the sails. She's not portrayed as evil or bad throughout, but that doesn't mean she has to be so nice that she wouldn't really scare anyone. Overall, it's a beautifully illustrated and fun book. It's definitely one to keep and thumb through every year at the very least. It's more fun than spooky and makes for great bedtime reading throughout October if not beyond. Written: January 7, 2015
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