Catrin Evans

Determined to control the weather worldwide, Wena the witch invents a machine that will give her what she wants. All she has to do is collect some weather to put in it. But where can she find sun and rain, wind and snow, all in one place? Wales, of course! And so Wena heads to that mountainous country, collecting weather in Llanelli, Aberystwyth, Snowdon and Cardiff. She isn't prepared for the thunder and lightning she encounters however, and finds herself in a somewhat electric situation...

Originally published in Welsh in 1997, as Peiriant y tywydd, and then translated into English in 2001, Wena and the Weather Machine is a fun little witchy adventure. Author Catrin Evans' story is engaging, and reminded me a bit of Patricia Coombs' classic Dorrie and the Weather Box, which also featured a witch and some weather-related shenanigans. Of course, Dorrie was a good little witch, whereas Wena is quite wicked. The artwork here is done by Guto Evans, Catrin Evans' husband, and features a number of images of Wena superimposed over a map of Wales, showing the witch's journey around the country. The visuals here aren't exactly to my taste - too cartoonish in style - but they are suited to the story, and I did like that Wena's weather machine turns out to look very much like a vacuum cleaner.

I have a weakness for witchy picture-books, which are a pet project of mine, so I am very happy to have tracked this one down. It is one of a number of witchy titles from Y Lolfa, a small Welsh publisher based in Talybont, Ceredigion. Unfortunately, some of the others, particularly Angharad Tomos' series of stories about Ceridwen the witch, do not appear to have been translated. Another reason to learn Welsh, I suppose. As for Wena and the Weather Machine, I would recommend it to young picture-book readers who enjoy witchy tales, or who are looking for stories set in Wales.… (plus d'informations)