From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-Gritch the Witch has worn herself out with the preparations for her big Halloween party. Awakened by her doorbell the night before the gala, she discovers that her sister, Mag the Hag, who "just flew in from Maliboo" for the fun, has arrived 24 hours early. They've never gotten along "since they were little ghouls" and this time is no different. A pillow fight, differing tastes in decorating, some competitive spell casting, and a cooking contest pit the sisters against one another in a skirmish of sibling rivalry. When "Mummy" arrives, it's finally time to party. The paintings offer varying perspectives, close-ups, bright rich colors, and grossly humorous details. The large pictures spill over from one page to the next and even the text is highlighted with colorful onomatopoeic outbursts. Silly puns, inventive wordplay, and wonderfully creative illustrations combine to concoct a splendid "howliday" read-aloud.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
K-Gr. 3. What's more howl-worthy than one impetuous, revolting, yet irresistible witch?
Two of them, . . . at least when they're the creations of Palatini and Fine, who collaborated on
Piggie Pie! (1995) and
Zoom Broom (1998). This time, Gritch faces a thorny problem: her sis, Mag the Hag, has arrived one day early for Gritch's "howliday" party, so Gritch finds herself saddled with a broom mate. The party prep degenerates into frenzied trials of one-upmanship, until the sisters' "mummy" arrives to start the fiesta off on the right foot. Reprising the over-the-top illustration style of Gritch's first two books, Fine gives these leading ladies a distinct family resemblance, from their honking noses to their fondness for accessories that look as if they have been borrowed from Dolly Parton's boudoir. Throughout, puns and witchy bons mots will carry children along on a comic tidal wave reminiscent of a riffing Robin Williams. Ghoulish details in text and art do give this a Halloween feel, but the sibling rivalry has year-round relevance--and the laughs, of course, are seasonless.
Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
