Mouldylocks [Hardcover]

Bernard Lodge (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

On her birthday, Mouldylocks, a green-haired little witch, receives a broomstick that whisks her off to a surprise birthday party at Wizard Twittle's house. But when the party games go horribly wrong and the guests are all turned into insects, Mouldylocks has to muster all her witching skills to put things right. Surely she's had enough surprises for one day... Bold illustrations filled with ghoulish detail, combined with Bernard Lodge's offbeat sense of humor, make this a perfect read-aloud for Halloween or for that matter, anytime.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lodge (The Half-Mile Hat; Tanglebird) serves up a rather bland witch's brew using some overly familiar ingredients, including a magic broomstick, a book of magic spells and some predictable bewitching, zapping and reversing of curses. The first two are gifts Mouldylocks receives for her surprise birthday party, thrown by two fellow witches and a wizard. After games of Pass the Gargoyle, Musical Chairs (with bewitched furniture that won't stay still) and Snakes and Ladders ("with real snakes and real ladders"), spells cast by the three hosts turn them all into creepy crawlies, and the guest of honor must use her new tome to undo the damage. The conclusion brings Mouldylocks a "surprise" that is anything but: an oversize birthday cake. The most inventive aspect of the book is Lodge's stylized woodblock art, which conjures up some whimsical images, although their textured quality makes some appear washed-out. This lukewarm concoction lacks the spark to keep it boiling and bubbling. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Mouldylocks, a little witch with long, green, wavy hair, is surprised when a mysterious magic broom is delivered to her house on the morning of her birthday. She and her black cat Hannibal climb aboard and are whisked away, eventually landing at a surprise party planned by Wizard Twittle and witches Mama Kano and Crabby Ann. The three adults quarrel during the games and turn one another into crawly creatures. Mouldylocks consults 101 Magic Spells, one of her birthday gifts, for help. The changing-back spell requires two missing ingredients, which she produces by using her other presents. Soon, the child's three friends are returned to normal, and the Wizard conjures up a gigantic birthday cake to thank her. This silly tale is told simply in short sentences. The text and woodcut-print pictures are well balanced and complement each other. The cartoon illustrations, which feature boldly colored shapes outlined in wide black lines, effectively portray action and expression, making the book an effective read-aloud. Pair this with Deborah Hautzig's Happy Birthday Little Witch (Random, 1985), a beginning reader that describes another mixed-up celebration.
Christina Dorr, Whitehall City Schools, OH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First edition. edition (September 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395909457
• ISBN-13: 978-0395909454
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,159,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars snappy, September 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mouldylocks (Hardcover)

Each page is surprising, we kept wondering what was going to happen next. It is still great to read over and over. The illustrations since they look like engravings are simple and charming. It's a nice twist on the standard witch type story. I like this book as much as we like Tanglebird.