Hilda, a plump little girl in overalls approaches Witch Hazel's house across the endpapers. Witch Hazel, an elderly woman with a beak-like profile and wisps of white hair under her witch's hat, leans on her broom as she smiles gently at her. Hilda, accompanied by a playful black kitten, begins the story in spring as she helps Hazel sweep the dust from her porch and remember her youth, recreated as a ghostly white illustration of a little girl and a stripy friend, telling stories together on the porch. As the seasons pass, Hazel shares her memories with Hilda, sharing the magic of stories, friends, and life. Finally, from her bed in winter as Hilda cares for her, she tells her last story, extending out across a gatefold in sparkling white magic until it twinkles away through the windows.
The next spring, Hilda sweeps the porch alone and brings up memories of Hazel, now one of her own magical memories, as she keeps Hazel's traditions and the renewal of spring alive.
Soft shades of brown and gray cover the simple illustrations of a house and the seasons it passes through while memories glow gentle white like ghostly dust, first for Witch Hazel and then for Hilda. A lovely, gentle story of the power of memories from one generation to the next. The publisher's description calls Hilda Witch Hazel's granddaughter, but there's no indication of any actual relationship in the story, just the care and love of a young girl growing up for a cherished elder.
Verdict: This is not a typical storytime read-aloud and certainly not a Halloween story, although Witch Hazel is undoubtably a witch (and sports a gorgeous live boa across her shoulders in her memory of a ball) but it's a great addition to stories of family, emotions, and gently introducing the topic of the natural cycle of life and death.
ISBN: 978-0316541138; Published October 2022 by Little Brown; Review copy provided by publisher
No comments:
Post a Comment