Room on the Broom (Paperback)

by Julia Donaldson (Author), Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) "The witch had a cat and a hat that was black,..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
There's always room for one more on this affable witch's broomstick... or is there? In another mild-mannered tale from the creators of the Smarties Prize-winning picture book, The Gruffalo, a witch and her happily purring cat fly through the wind on their broomstick, without a care in the world, until the witch's black hat blows away. In the process of retrieving it, they pick up another passenger, a polite and helpful dog. All goes well until the witch's hair bow flies off. And then her wand. And then real disaster strikes--in the shape of a big red dragon, a broken broom, and some very important (but notably absent) friends. Julia Donaldson's story, though not earthshaking in plot or rhyme, is a pleasant way to pass the time leading up to the witching hour (Halloween!) especially when paired with the friendly illustrations by Axel Scheffler. Readers will especially love the final illustration, in which our heroes solve their space problems once and for all. (Ages 4 to 7) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
In this lightweight, witty story, helpful animals find "room on the broom" of a generous witch. At first, a striped cat accompanies the cheerful sorceress: "How the cat purred/ and how the witch grinned,/ As they sat on their broomstick/ and flew through the wind." Next, a spotted dog retrieves the witch's flyaway black hat and asks to come aboard. The three riders soon welcome a green parrot (who finds the witch's lost hair ribbon) and a frog (who rescues her wand from the bottom of a pond). When threatened by a dragon, the loyal animals form a "Brementown Musicians" chimera whose "terrible voice,/ when it started to speak,/ was a yowl and a growl/ and a croak and a shriek." The witch repays them by conjuring a cushier vehicle. Donaldson and Scheffler, previously paired for The Gruffalo, emphasize the airborne animals' contentment and evoke sympathy for the broom's driver. In Scheffler's comical panels and insets, the witch has a warty nose and lace-up boots, but wears a pleasant smile; Donaldson puts a spooky/silly spin on the folktale format. The metrical rhyme and goofy suspense aren't groundbreaking, but readers will likely find it refreshing to see a witch playing against type. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142501123
• ISBN-13: 978-0142501122
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,996 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Festivals > Halloween > Fiction
  #15 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Stories
  #50 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely wonderful, despite a publisher's error, August 9, 2003

By	Tanya Arce Fox (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Room on the Broom (Hardcover)

My 3.5-year-old son loves this book. The illustrations are clever and charming and the simple, repetitive rhymes are perfect for young listeners. It is a joy to read aloud. It is one of my top 10 books to give as a gift. A witch and her cat are flying around and encounter three other animals that would like to know if there is room on the broom for an animal like them. The reply is always an enthusiastic "Yes!" (Now who wouldn't like a ride on a broom?) This book is generally not found on bookstore shelves because it is considered a Halloween book, but it is fun reading any time of year. After numerous renewals from the library, we purchased our own copy. (We also own and highly recommend "The Spiffiest Giant in Town" and "The Gruffalo.")

When our Amazon ordered book came in the mail, my husband read it and noticed that his favorite line said by the dragon, "witch without fries" is not in the book! We like the original verse, "The dragon drew near with a glint in his eyes, and said, "Just this once I'll have witch without fries." That has been replaced with "The dragon drew nearer and started to drool. He said, "I won't let you go- do you think I'm a fool?"

I believe the publisher has corrected the problem. Either way, you'll be happy to own it! Every time I am in the children's section of my local library, I look up Donaldson on the shelves and take out her books to put up on top for parents to see it and easily grab it. Children (and parents) get a beautifully illustrated story which highlight friendship, cooperation, politeness and generosity. (My son is 6 now and my daughter is 2. I love that I can still read this book to them and they love it!)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Room on a Broom Excellent Fun!, December 12, 2004

By	E. Felsen "Abby'sMOM" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Room on the Broom (Hardcover)

Funny, that this is the first book my husband picks up every night to read to our daughter. He asked me to buy all of her books! He loves her style and the illustrations are excellent. My daughter loves this book and it is not scary at all! Buy this book and her others you will not be disappointed!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Room for one more?, September 13, 2002

By	Rune reader "runewright" (AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Room on the Broom (Hardcover)

What a fun book for Halloween or anytime!

The book offers a gentle lesson in cooperation as the animals work together to rescue their friend. (It's a dirty job, but somebody had to do it--you'll see what I mean when you read the book.)

The rhymes work well for reading aloud and the vividly colored illustrations are full of details that little children will want to look at again and again.

For the most part the characters are smiling (except, of course, when the dragon tries to eat the witch). Even the youngest child will not feel threatened by either the characters or the plot.

I have a feeling this is going to be the featured story at my Halloween story hours this year.