Review by Booklist Review
This is an enchanting new chapter book series that will captivate young readers with its heartwarming story. A young witchling named Blue works in a bakery with Mama Moon in the cozy little seaside town of Shelville. Mama Moon bakes up the magical goodies, and Blue rides their bike around, making deliveries and trying to help others along the way. Blue, along with their trusty seagull, tries to find a lost guinea pig, relieve an exhausted neighbor, and cheer up a store owner in mourning. Blue's character is relatable and sweet as they try to make their neighbors' lives better but end up making a few mistakes along the way. The charming, full-color art on every page brings the story to life, making it perfect for early readers who are just starting to enjoy chapter books. The end of the book includes a fun recipe to pair with the book. With its themes of kindness, helping others, and community, Witchycakes is a perfect read for children who love magical stories with a sweet twist.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Baking, magic, and compassion are the main ingredients of this gentle early chapter book series launch by LaReau (the Infamous Ratsos series). Witch-in-training Blue delivers magic-enhanced pastries from their mother's fantastical bakery, Witchycakes, to customers throughout Shelville. Each seaside community inhabitant, portrayed with varying skin tones, is experiencing a crisis: young Jib's pet guinea pig has escaped, overwhelmed Mrs. Sanderson is too exhausted to make lunch for her hungry children, and grocery store owner Mr. Haddock is mourning his late dog. When Blue's half-baked magic fails to solve the peoples' woes, Blue uses their ingenuity to conjure nonmagical solutions. Alongside Mama Moon's delicious baked goods, the intrepid protagonist serves up ample empathy and wit as they explore Shelville and immerse themselves in their neighbor's daily lives. The large cast's imaginative, seaside-related names (Gully, Pearl, Ms. Crabbe, Barnacle, Skipper, etc.) add cheeky personality to a story that's as sweet as Mama Moon's Beach Crumble. Clean, softly shaded full-color artwork by Moreira depicts the passage of time (individual chapters take place at morning, noon, afternoon, dusk, and evening) and includes bustling page borders showcasing beach, pastry, and witchy paraphernalia. A recipe concludes. Publishing simultaneously: Changing Magic. Ages 6--9. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Aevitas Creative. Illustrator's agent: Alex Gehringer, Bright Agency. (Aug.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In the seaside town of Shellville, a blue-haired witch in training and bakery employee makes delicious deliveries. At Witchycakes, Mama Moon whips up beachy treats, from sandy-witch bread to raspberry sandbars. Accompanied by a sea gull familiar named Gully, tan-skinned Blue, who usesthey/them pronouns, ferries their mother's wares all over town. Along the way, Blue attempts to use magic to help the customers they encounter: a young boy who's afraid to tell his two dads that he's lost his guinea pig, a mother run ragged by her four kids, and a grocer mourning his beloved dog. But magic often causes more problems than it solves. Though Blue makes frequent mistakes, they quickly pivot to new solutions, offering young readers a welcome lesson in resilience. LaReau has created an idyllic, homey world populated by warm, neighborly characters who encourage Blue's growth each step of the way. The witchy protagonist, gently told story, and sleepy, small-town setting feel heavily inspired byKiki's Delivery Service; its fans are likely to be thrilled with this new series, while young readers will hopefully find a natural path to the original book and anime film. Aspiring chefs will enjoy the appended kid-friendly, no-bake recipe for Mama Moon's Beach Crumble. Moreira relies on a palette of muted earth tones and teals, pairing nicely with the seaside setting and effectively portraying a diverse cast. A charmingly cozy fantasy helmed by an endearing queer protagonist.(Chapter book. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
