Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

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. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

The witch loses her hat, leading to a series of misadventures, each of which adds another passenger on her broom. The combined weight finally snaps the broom, leaving the witch at the mercy of a mean, hungry dragon. She is saved by her clever flying companions, and the jolly verses end with them all flying happily together on a larger, "truly magnificent broom." In large, colorful, action-filled scenes and vignettes, Scheffler depicts an appealing pigtailed witch, a benign landscape, and a magical world in a humorous, cartoon-y style. Even the final confrontation between the dragon and the "horrible beast" of her friends is conceived for fun, not fright. 2001, Dial Books for Young Readers, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-A witch and her cat pick up a dog, a bird, and a frog, and fly off on her broomstick. The frog jumps for joy, the broomstick snaps in two, the animals land in a bog, and a dragon captures the witch. What to do? As in the Grimms' "The Bremen Town Musicians," the animals, covered in mud, stand on each other and "yowl," "growl," "croak," and "shriek," scaring the dragon and saving the witch. All's well that ends well for the witch conjures up a super broom with seats for the cat and dog, a nest for the bird, and a pool for the frog. The story is in rhyme, bouncing merrily along, full of fun, and not at all scary. The illustrations are witty and wonderful. All the characters, even the dragon, have the same goofy grin and large, round eyes. Dressed in a purple skirt, red blouse, and black cape and hat, the witch, with a long, ginger braid, is more friendly than frightening. The image of the red dragon carrying her, passed out cold, is a hoot. And her cat is not the traditional black cat; it looks more like a baby tiger. The result is a surefire read-aloud hit.-Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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