The Little Green Witch [Paperback]

Barbara Barbieri McGrath (Author), Martha Alexander (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–Halloween's answer to The Little Red Hen. While her hollow-tree housemates (a ghost, a bat, and a gremlin) laze around, the little witch does all the unhousework–hanging the cobwebs, dirtying the laundry, etc. When she finds some pumpkin seeds and plants them, she discovers that her friends are stubbornly unhelpful at every stage. While the little green witch's question is always, ˜Who will help me…,' the answers are divertingly varied: ˜Can't hear you,' said the bat. ˜Water, schmater,' grouched the gremlin. As readers will expect, when the witch takes her pumpkin pie out of the oven, everyone is willing to help her eat it. Equally predictable is her refusal to share it. But she has an extra comeuppance up her ragged sleeve, one that will make readers laugh out loud. McGrath has done a fine job of meeting expectations while introducing surprises at every turn. Her gentle humor is amplified by Alexander's sweet and funny watercolor-pastel illustrations. Details like a Mickey Mouse cup on the shelf, a wood crate labeled Apples, and a cookie jar shaped like a little red hen can be discovered in successive readings. Children will enjoy this book before, during, and after Halloween.–Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

About the Author

Barbara Barbieri McGrath
Author

Barbara McGrath received her degree in early childhood education from Lasell College. She co-founded a nursery school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and worked as a pre-school teacher for 16 years.

Barbara wanted to combine her interest in writing with her desire to make learning fun. This, and her experience with children, inspired her to write her first book, The M&M'S® Brand Counting Book, which has over a million copies in print. She has also written several other books, including More M&M's® Brand Math, The Cheerios Counting Book(Scholastic), and The Baseball Counting Book.

Barbara's hobbies include surfcasting, canoeing, and scuba diving near Cape Cod. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and their two children.

Martha Alexander created nearly 70 books for young readers in her long career, including When the New Baby Comes, I'm Moving Out and Nobody Asked ME If I Wanted a Baby Sister. Ms. Alexander modestly commented on her success in publishing, saying only, "I steal ideas from children." She passed away in 2006.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580891535
• ISBN-13: 978-1580891530
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DELIGHTFUL ILLUSTRATIONS WITH A THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE TEXT, July 23, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Little Green Witch (School & Library Binding)

The little green witch is one of the most people friendly crones to be found. Illustrator Martha Alexander portrays her as a bit of a pixie (even though she is bright green and definitely wants her own way).

Having things her way can be difficult as she lives in a hollow tree with a ghost, a bat, and a gremlin. These three also have minds of their own. About all the ghost wants to do is float above a large steaming black pot, while the bat likes to spend his time hanging in the broom closet. The gremlin is usually found snoozing in the dark, damp under the sink cupboard. Thus, little green witch is left to do all of the "unhousework."

The poor thing worked herself into a frenzy spreading soot, hanging cobwebs, and dirtied laundry. One day she found some pumpkin seeds and asked her tree mates to help her plant them. Do you think any of that lazy trio would lift a hand (as if ghosts had one)?

Well, the little green witch planted the seeds all by herself and it wasn't too long before the pumpkins were fat, ripe, and ready. Once again, she asked for help in picking them. Same story - not a one of the trio would come to her aid.

Now, the little green witch didn't take this lack of community spirit lying down. Youngsters will laugh at what she's finally driven to do.

Delightful illustrations with a thoroughly enjoyable text.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Book by Barbara McGrath, January 13, 2007

By 

Beverly Isabell (Kansas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Little Green Witch (School & Library Binding)

Absolutely adorable...I had the privilege of meeting Barbara McGrath while in Chicago at a Teacher's Conference two years ago. She is great and has been an author of many children's books-the M & M books and many more. She told us in her presentation then that she was in the process of getting this book, THE LITTLE GREEN WITCH, published. It's a lot like one of my favorites from childhood-The Little Red Hen-only a different twist. Enjoy!

4.0 out of 5 stars The Little Green Witch is the Little Red Hen, November 28, 2010

By 

Tammy (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Green Witch (Paperback)

This is the story of the "Three Little Hens" but instead of hens it is a ghost, a bat, and a gremlin.

The little green witch does everything. One day she finds pumpkin seeds. She asks for help to plant them but no one will help. She also waters the seeds, picks the pumpkins when ripe, scoops the yuck and gloop out, carves them, and makes a monstrous pumpkin pie. The ghost, bat, and gremlin smell the pie and hurry over. She asks who wants pie and they all say they do. The little green witch then says she's going to eat the pie herself but first she raises her wand and *POOF* turns the ghost, bat, and gremlin into . . . little red hens.