Review by Booklist Review
Originally published in the UK, this whimsical series starter features three short stories about a young girl named Pandora and her wonderfully wacky Granny Crow, who happens to be a witch. In the first story, Pandora and her friends get ready for a superspooky party with the help of Granny Crow's magic and Pandora's very sensible, definitely-not-a-witch Granny Podmore. In Teddy Trouble, Pandora goes to Nellie's birthday party at the Fluffy Friends store, where each child makes their own teddy bear. Mischievous Granny Crow can't resist the urge to make the bears even more wonderful. Finally, Granny Crow chaperones the class swimming lesson and improves the pool with rainbow changing-room showers, chandeliers, and real penguins. With happy endings and magic galore, each short, linear story is split into three chapters. Simple, action-packed text pairs with Berger's expressive line drawings to make this an excellent recommendation for transitional chapter-book readers looking for sweet, bewitching tales. Hand to fans of Christine Heppermann and Ron Koertge's Backyard Witch series.--Seto Forrester, Amy Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this entertaining series opener, Corderoy introduces a girl named Pandora who lives with her two grandmothers: Granny Podmore, a neatnik, and Granny Crow, a witch with the tendency to "get excited and go too far" where magic and spells are concerned. The first of three four-chapter stories focuses on a wild Halloween party that features out-of-control pumpkin soda and a "super-sucky" octopus-esque vacuum cleaner. In the latter tales, teddy bears at a build-your-own-bear store are brought to fluffy life and a school trip to a swimming pool takes some wild twists and turns. Accented with bright orange, Berger's two-color cartoons add to the atmosphere of benevolently chaotic magic. Pandora is a sweet-natured, slightly nervous heroine, and although Granny Podmore doesn't show up again after the first story, Granny Crow steals the show in each tale with her well-meaning-if not entirely effective-use of magic. Ages 6-9. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
