Customer Reviews

The Witch's Walking Stick

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a darling little story that is quick to make sure that good is rewarded and evil is punished--in the cutest ways possible. The weapon here is the walking stick of a wicked witch, a stick that still holds a little bit of magic. We then have Margaret, a little girl abused by her older siblings. When fate crosses Margaret and the walking stick, justice is served. It's funny, sweet, and has that fairy tale vibe of happy endings.

My 5-1/2 year old and 4 year old boys loved this story and asked me to read it to them again and again immediately after listening to it the first time. FYI - - It was one of more than 20 books on our school's reading award list for Kindergarten - 2nd graders. Very engaging and entertaining. Good lessons about being kind/good vs. being mean/evil. A dog snatches a witch's magic walking stick, and the witch asks a girl to get it back for her. The girl had been mistreated at home by her older siblings since their parents died. Caveats: I did not like the fact that it mentioned that the parents' died, although it was just in passing, so I edited it to say the parents were not there. It is also worth pointing out to others who may be concerned that the girl runs away from home. I edited that out, too. I just don't like bringing up subjects unnecessarily. I said she left her home and left it vague as to how long she was planning to stay away. I know, I know ... but, I'm sorry, I'm just not reading that to my children. Nevertheless, we loved the story.

"There once was a very old witch who had a magic walking stick. Over the years she had used it to make a thousand miserable wishes come true...."

Susan Meddaugh has written and illustrated a nifty, new fairy tale. It's an action / adventure thriller for your little ones. Good versus Evil. You may have noticed that the good guys always win in action / adventure thrillers. And then everyone lives happily ever after--well at least the Cinderella-like Margaret, the doggy, and all the cute critters in the forest do.

As for Margaret's older brother and sister, let's just say they had a well- deserved attitude adjustment. The situation at home went from:

" 'Margaret!' they both yelled together. 'Make the breakfast. We want pancakes and we want them now!'

" 'You wouldn't do this if Mother and Father were still alive,' cried the girl.

" 'That's true,' they agreed. 'Now, don't forget to feed the pigs.'

" 'I think I just did,' said Margaret. But not so loud that they could hear."

to:

"Then Margaret said to her brother and sister, 'The next time you think about being mean to me remember what happened today.'

"Still, just to be sure, she silently wished that if they ever forgot, her brother would have an overwhelming urge to slap mustard on his head and her sister would start to oink."


It's amazing how the proper application of a magic walking stick can quickly and permanently change people's attitudes--which, in this case, is really good because the magic walking stick was as old as the witch was. As a result, Margaret unknowingly used up the last of its magic on her nasty, mean brother and sister. But, we won't tell, and I doubt Margaret and her new doggy will either.

As for the witch? Well, when we last saw her, she looked like she was having a really bad hair day. It probably wasn't improved by the big grins plastered all over the faces of the woodland critters. And I could swear the mouse and 'coon were clapping.

Who says stories about witches (or Halloween) have to be scary? Certainly not Susan Meddaugh. Technically though, this isn't a "Halloween" book because the Library of Congress considers _The Witch's Walking Stick_ to be Juvenile fiction about witches, wishes, and magic. But aren't witches and magic a big part of the Halloween holiday?

So go ahead and be just as creative as Susan Meddaugh was. Add it to your Halloween collection at home, school, or library. That's what I did because it's a fun, fairy tale--not another scary, monster / horror tale for Halloween. _The Witch's Walking Stick_ is definitely worth 5 stars from gobbysreviews. Read it to your little ones, and...

ENJOY!

gobby
Book Reviewer at Marathon Library

Margaret's days are all bad since her parents died and her siblings make her do all the work. When things get bad she runs away into the forest and encounters an old lady stranded: her desire to help may bring her into danger through a wily old witch's plans in the engaging picturebook The Witch's Walking Stick.