Puddles and potions

The residents of the seaside village of Shellville are ready for spring. Blue, a young witch-to-be who usesthey/them pronouns, and their Mama Moon have much to do to prepare for the upcoming Spring Festival. Mama Moon must bake plenty of beach-inspired treats, like rocky reef muffins and conch custards. Blue has to deliver treats to the grumpy Ms. Crabbe and set up the Witchycakes booth at the festival. And Mama Moon's frazzled new assistant, Marlin, causes one disaster after another. Eager for everything to go perfectly, Blue happens upon a solution. A few spritzes of Mama Moon's "perfect potion," and Marlin seems to transform into a model employee. Blue uses the potion in other situations, with mixed results, and eventually learns that perfection is impossible; what matters is doing one's best. Once more, LaReau evokes an idyllic, magical world, low on dramatic tension but imbued with invitingly cozy vibes and a nicely integrated message of self-acceptance. To depict the pre-spring setting, Moreira relies on muted colors: soft yellow for flowers and Blue's rain slicker, mossy green for grass and shrubs, and gray-blue for cloudy skies and rain-slicked streets. Blue and Mama Moon have tan skin; the supporting cast is diverse. Another satisfying visit to a cheery beachy town, with an empowering lesson and baked goods to boot. (recipe)(Fiction. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.