Hocus and Pocus and the spell for home

Review by Booklist Review

Navigating the challenges of finding a forever family, this early chapter book transports readers to a shelter for "slightly magical dogs." Adorable puppies Hocus (who can see two minutes into the future) and Pocus (who can banish bad feelings with a snuggle) draw audiences in with mischievous antics and an unwavering bond. Despite their efforts, potential adopters are deterred by their playful mischief, leaving the duo longing for a place to call home together. As the puppies meet a friendly witch's young apprentices, many of whom introduce themselves matter of factly with their pronouns, the dogs use their slightly magical skills to make their true wishes known. Chua's eye-catching and aesthetically drawn illustrations enhance the storytelling, which, while intended for beginning readers, is more suited to early readers with more mastery, thanks to the density of the text on the page, longer sentences, and dialogue-driven action. Kids who like stories about magical worlds where anything is possible will appreciate this eight-chapter adventure filled with endearing moments and valuable lessons of friendship and belonging.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

When ebullient, bohemian witch Jinx deposits a litter of stray puppies at the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets, the establishment's manager predicts that offers for adoption will quickly follow because they're all "more than slightly adorable." But Hocus, who can see two minutes into the future, and Pocus, who can turn bad feelings into edible bubbles, have strong opinions about their fates. Determined to not be separated, the two eponymous pups hatch a scheme with the endgame to be adopted by the witch herself. The ensuing pages of this rambunctious chapter book by Capetta (The Heartbreak Bakery) see Hocus and Pocus embarking on an adventure that's both slapstick and heartfelt. Peppy, digital spot illustrations by Chua (Boys Don't Fry) that tip a witch's hat to classic animation portray the floppy-eared duo as they steal into Jinx's house, win the hearts of her three young apprentices, and wreak havoc with the witch's cauldron collection. In the end, Jinx can't resist the pups' charms and notes that Hocus and Pocus are actually "highly magical puppies"--a prescient setup for the series' successive entries. Human characters have varying skin tones. Ages 5--8. (May)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 3--Stories featuring cute dogs or magic are always popular, and this book will be no exception. This series centers puppies who are "slightly magical and more than slightly adorable." Hocus and Pocus are littermates who want to stay together and be adopted into the same home. They create quite a bit of mischief to make sure they are not separated, even stowing away in the bag of Jinx the witch to reach her house. While looking for potions the puppies meet Jinx's apprentices, who live with her while they train. Can these mischievous canines use the "spell for home" to find their own forever family? Digital illustrations capture the caramel and cocoa colors of Hocus and Pocus, the magenta of Jinx's hair, and other vivid tones that bring the story to life. The expression on Hocus's face as she enjoys a belly rub, and the frightened look of Pocus as he is chased by gigantic bees add to the characterization in the text. The theme of acceptance and belonging is reinforced by the diversity of the apprentices in appearance and gender; they each mention which pronouns they use (he/him, she/her, they/them) as they introduce themselves. VERDICT A first chapter book that combines pets, potions, and a happy ending; perfect for readers who enjoy lighthearted mischief and canine cuddles.--Suzanne Costner

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Two pups seek their forever home. Jinx, a friendly witch, finds an abandoned litter of precious--and "slightly magical"--puppies and takes them to the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets, where they'll find homes with witches, wizards, and warlocks. The middle pups--Double, Toil, and Trouble--are quickly adopted. But the oldest, Hocus (who can see two minutes into the future), and Pocus, the youngest, who can make bad feelings disappear, refuse to be separated and so have a harder time finding homes. When Jinx decides to help them by making a potion that will guarantee that they'll be adopted, the pups plot to modify it to ensure they'll both go to the same owner. They sneak into Jinx's bag and secretly go home with her. Hocus usually leads the way, but now shy Pocus must keep Hocus, who's more interested in meeting new friends, on track. Things go awry--will their plan work? This lively chapter book is engaging, with unexpected and entertaining developments. A few words such as unacceptable, dueled, and cauldrons add a bit of a challenge. The colorful, cartoonish illustrations add verve and unquestionable cuteness. Brown-skinned Jinx wears glasses and has rippling raspberry-colored hair; she states her pronouns before introducing herself to the pups, as do other characters. These magical, mischievous pooches prove irresistible. (Chapter book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Chapter One Slightly Magical Puppies Hocus and Pocus were born in late October, when even the wind was full of mischief. A witch found their entire litter wandering outside as the last of the leaves fell. She could tell they were too small to stay out in the cold. They needed homes with soft laps and plenty of treats. She could also tell the pups were slightly magical. They needed witches, wizards, and warlocks who would take care of them. This witch wanted to help. She took the litter to the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets. The shelter held a slew of bewitching kittens, dozens of enchanted fish, three charmed chinchillas, and a sad tortoise whose shell changed colors when it rained. "It's good to have you here," the human who owned the shelter told them. "You probably won't stay long, though. People love puppies. Magical humans are always looking for magical puppies. You are all slightly magical and more than slightly adorable." Hocus, who had been born first, was the biggest of the litter. Her coat was partly white and partly the color of sweet, salty caramel. The thing that made her slightly magical was this: she could stare deep into a person's eyes and see what would happen in exactly two minutes. Pocus, who had been born last, stayed little. His coat was white with spots like chocolate sprinkles, and his head was the color of a perfect cup of hot cocoa. The thing that made him slightly magical was this: he could snuggle up to you and any bad feeling you had would float away. First Pocus turned it into a brightly colored bubble. Then he ate the bubble with a snap of his jaws. Double, Toil, and Trouble each had enchanted ears that could pick up the sound of a spell being cast miles away. Whenever they saw a witch, wizard, or warlock, they ran up and flipped over for a belly rub. All three were adopted within days. Hocus and Pocus wanted a home, too. But they didn't want to go to different homes the way Double, Toil, and Trouble had. They wanted a home together . "What do we do?" Pocus asked, gnawing the shark slipper he'd borrowed from the shelter owner. "Someone will take you first, I know it. I'll never see you again!" "Unacceptable," Hocus grumbled. "We'll use our magic to stop it." "What if that's not enough?" Pocus asked. "Then we'll use our mischief, too." Chapter Two Too Much Mischief? When a warlock and witch couple came in the next day and asked to look at puppies, Hocus stared deep into their eyes. "Oh no," she said. "In exactly two minutes, they'll ask to adopt one of us! Only one! " Hocus knew it would be her, but she didn't want to make Pocus even more nervous, so she didn't add that detail. "No!" Pocus cried, already nervous enough. "We have to stop it!" Pocus leaped into the witch's arms. Hocus squatted low. Hocus had what the shelter owner called "an accident"--but this was an "on purpose." The warlock danced around, shouting, "It's getting on my robes!" Pocus turned all their bad feelings into bubbles and ate them. He didn't want these people to be too mad at Hocus. But they definitely didn't adopt anyone. Another day, a wizard came in with a small wizard-baby and a wand that looked like an excellent fetch stick. "I'm looking for one perfect pet who will grow up along with my little one." "Just one pet," Hocus said. "Mischief time!" Pocus shouted. Hocus climbed the wizard like a tree. Hocus slurped a hundred kisses on the wizard-baby's face. Pocus grabbed the wizard's wand while they were distracted and did what he did best: power chew. He spent the next two days burping sparks. The shelter human shook their head. "This might be harder than I thought. You've been here for months and nobody's even filled out an application." Pocus had actually eaten several applications. "What if no one ever adopts us?" Pocus asked. "What if our mischief is backfiring? Like a wand when you chew on it?" "Hmmm," Hocus grumbled. "Maybe we have to stop thinking about what we don't want . . ." "We don't want to get split up!" Pocus yelped. "And spend time trying to get what we do want." "We want treats and a person to give us lots of treats," Pocus helped. "We want a home. Together. Right?" Hocus had to help her little brother along sometimes. He needed someone to talk him into things. "We'll be extra good when the next magical human comes in, okay?" "We're good dogs ," Pocus said, but he didn't sound so sure. Right at that moment, a witch burst through the door. The same witch who'd brought them to the shelter in the first place. Hocus said, "We'll be this witch's puppies in no time." But the witch had other ideas. Excerpted from Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home by A. R. Capetta All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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