Two Little Witches: A Counting Story by Harriet Ziefert, Taback, Simms Taback (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

If one little witch meets one little witch . . .
what happens on a spooky Halloween night?

Kids love to be scared - just a little - and Halloween is the perfect time for them to explore the bright, bold artwork of Caldecott Medal-winner Simms Taback and the comforting rhythms of Harriet Ziefert’s story in this lively, cumulative counting book.

Publishers Weekly

Little goblins learn to count to 10 with this yarnand they'll pick up some good costume ideas, too. What is counted are trick-or-treating friends: two witches who meet up with a clown, a skeleton, and so forth. Nothing macabre whatsoever herejust happy, brightly colored characters on a slightly spooky mission for candy. Ages 2-5. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

On the flip side, Two Little Witches: A Counting Story (1996) by Harriet Ziefert, illus. by Simms Taback, uses an ever-growing group of trick-or-treaters to teach addition skills. Taback's outlined characters stand out like black-light images against an inky black background.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-A simple counting story for group sharing and beginning readers. One little witch plus another little witch add (one at a time) a clown, skeleton, striped cat, and so forth, to their retinue until there are "ten trick-or-treaters going trick-or-treating in the dark on Halloween night." Encountering a monster at a spooky old house, all scatter until only the two little witches remain. One rides off on her broomstick and the other walks home and counts her treats, leaving none. The text is simple and the addition predictable, ideal for novice mathematicians. The phrases "going trick-or-treating" and "in the dark on Halloween night" are used repeatedly, but do not build a strong rhythm or invite children to join in the oral reading, as does Sue Alexander's Who Goes Out on Halloween? (Bantam, 1990). Taback's large, primitive, watercolor-and-ink cartoons are especially delightful, though, both spooky with bold uses of black backgrounds and reassuringly familiar with the obviously homemade costumes. And Ziefert's surprise ending is a nice bonus.-Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TX

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