Earwig and the Witch (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Earwig and the Witch
Unlike most of the orphans at St. Morwald's Home for Children, Earwig has no desire to be adopted—why would she give up bossing around all those younger kids to go be bossed around herself? Despite her best efforts to look unruly and not at all cute, Earwig does in fact end up getting adopted, but her new parents are a witch and a demon, so at least her new home will be interesting. Initially thrilled to find out that she'll be the witch's new apprentice, Earwig soon realizes that apprentice is just a fancy word for servant, and that she'll have to learn magic by teaching herself magic—and if the witch happens to grow a hand out of her head as a result of Earwig's experiments, well, then, so be it. In this new offering from the late author, Jones brings her characteristic witty humor and rich imagination to a whimsical chapter book that would undoubtedly delight as a readaloud. Stubborn and mischievous, Earwig is a likable, albeit irascible, heroine, and her triumph at the witch's expense will elicit plenty of cheerful howls. The prose has an easy accessibility, and while some of the vocabulary will certainly stretch the skills of novice readers, short sentences, plenty of dialogue, and a fairly compact storyline will keep youngsters turning the pages. Animal lovers will find Earwig's warm relationship with the witch's cat just to their liking, but the real humor here lies in Earwig and her misguided attempts at magic, the results of which will enchant readers and listeners alike. Final illustrations not seen.
