What a pickle! Robin Newman has written a playful and clever fractured fairy tale about a young witch who learns some very important lessons about getting along with her rambunctious neighbors. Moving away and avoiding them isn’t an easy solution. Hildie discovers that if she confronts her problems with her neighbors, they are willing to work with her to find solutions. This is also an important story about honoring the differences in others.
Newman’s story is character driven, with a feisty and determined witch. Readers will delight in spotting a host of fairy tale characters that include blind mice, black sheep and other familiar storybook figures. The pacing is perfect with quirky and humorous storytelling. Chris Ewald’s gauzy, caricatured images are expressive, colorful and funny. My favorite illustration shows Hildie standing between the Giant’s two very hairy feet. There is a perfect marriage between text and artwork.
Read more at Children’s Books Heal.
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