Little Witch Hazel is set up by seasons and I love this! It's so fun to split it up and read one season one night with the anticipation of reading the next season the next night - or reading them all the way through! The illustrations are beautiful, as always, and it's fun to point out the difference in seasons. It also shows that it's okay to have feelings, to cut back and relax, and be helpful to friends. I love this book a lot, and my kids have embraced it as well. ( )

This was super stinkin' cute. ( )

Kids are riveted by this book, and they ask for it again and again! As an early childhood educator, I have read this book to 20+ kids so far between the ages of 2 and 8, and they have all loved Little Witch Hazel almost instantly. The illustrations are detailed and gorgeous, and the story has a classic, rhythmic, simple quality that speaks to children. Within the pages there is diverse representation of woodland gnomes, fairies, and other creatures who have differing body types, skin colors, and physical abilities.

There are four stories, each connected to a season of the year. The strongest stories, by far, are The Orphaned Egg (Spring) and The Haunted Stump (Autumn). The Lazy Day (Summer) goes at a slower pace, so some kids may lose interest along the way... that said, if you make it through to The Blizzard (Winter), the storybook is satisfyingly full circle. The book is full of whimsy, humor, little moments, deep understandings of the natural world, seasonal rhythms, respect for other creatures, friendship, neighborhood relations, enchantment, some mild suspense, and lots community care. ( )

The only question I wanted answered was why was this witch so little, and the book does not address that at all. Instead we just march through the four seasons doing a whole lot of nothing except walking around a tiny village peopled with all sorts of elves, gnomes, and forest critters.

Any point to this simply eludes me. Bore kids to sleep at bedtime?

p.s., Oh crap! This was just published last year? I thought it was some old junk from the 1940s. ( )

Totally scratches my woodland fantasy itch -- love Hazel and her tiny gnome world and her seasonal adventures. Really love the copious use of mushrooms and the adorable fairy houses -- lots of plant details, great messages in the short stories. Delightful! ( )