Beginner Reader

Lulu and the Witch Baby, illustrated by Bella Sinclair

As her new sister, Witchy Baby, begins to take up all of the attention of the grown-ups around her, from parents to aunts and uncles, little witch Lulu grows ever more resentful, especially when her own attempts to gain a little of her parents' time prove unsuccessful. Matters are not improved by Witch Baby's tendency to make a mess, and to destroy Lulu's things. When Mama Witch is out on an errand, Lulu reaches her boiling point, using a spell to make Witch Baby disappear. But is this really what she wants...?

The first of two beginning readers devoted to the adventures of the eponymous witch, Lulu and the Witch Baby was originally published in 1986, with artwork done by Emily Arnold McCully. This new revised edition was published in 2014, with artwork from Bella Sinclair, and on the whole, I prefer the newer version. Unfortunately, I did not have the original to hand, so I cannot compare the specific ways in which the story has been changed, but on this reading, I found the book far more engaging than I did when reading the original. I also preferred the artwork here, compared to that done by McCully. Bella Sinclair's illustrations are very cute, with a cartoon-like style that is suited to the story, I think. I particularly liked the scenes in the magic room, with all of the witchy accoutrements. Recommended to beginning readers with a taste for witchy fare, as well as those who might be contending with a new baby sibling themselves. ( )

This is a great fun book you can read around halloween. Not only is it a good seasonal book but its good for siblings too. Lulu witch was having trouble coping with the fact that she had a baby sister and she wanted to go back to before she was there and many kids go through this when a sibling is first born. This teaches good lessons for those kids and it can show kids its normal to go through these things. ( )

Lulu does not like that her little sister gets all the attention. When Lulu has to babysit witch baby she decides to put a spell on her sister to make her disappear. Lulu realizes she misses witch baby and feels terrible for what she has done. This is a good book to teach about sharing. ( )

This is a cute “I Can Read” book by Jane O’Connor, who is the author of the Fancy Nancy books. Lulu Witch has a new baby sister, Witch Baby. Witch Baby is getting all kinds of presents from her family: a bat rattle, a witch doll and a Dracula-in-the-box. No one really has time for Lulu Witch anymore because they are busy with the baby. Witch Baby always makes a mess, but she never gets in trouble for it. One day Mama Witch needed to go to the store and Lulu Witch needed to babysit her little sister. Lulu Witch decided to create a spell to make Baby Witch disappear. Lulu got her wish and then she felt really bad. She tried to reverse the spell and thought she failed. Fortunately, when she got upstairs she saw Baby Witch with Mama Witch and all was well. The spell was not quite right and Lulu realized she loved her baby sister.

This is a perfect book for young readers who have been gifted with a new baby brother or sister. The illustrations are not scary at all and the Witch family looks very lovable. The illustrator, Bella Sinclair, did a really nice job by making really cute pencil sketches. The colors are bright and appealing to young readers. This is a good book to have in a school library in the “I Can Read” section. It’s a level 2. It’s a good book to show off in a Halloween themed book display. It’s also a good book to share with teachers and counselors if a young student is struggling with a new addition to the family. It will also introduce new readers to Jane O’Connor. This book was originally copyrighted in 1986. It looks as though it was re-released in 2014 with a few small changes. ( )