Styx and Scones in The Sticky Wand by Jay Cooper

 Realistically, you just can't get much into an emerging reader. Sure, a genius like Mo Willems can get a lot of nuance into simple lines and phrases, but there's only so much you can do with limited words and simple pictures, especially if you're going to make a book that's actually suitable for a kid trying to decode words and follow artwork, practicing both visual and textual literacy, in a comic. This means that, naturally, titles that are just a bit more complex are going to be more interesting.

This new series from Ready-to-Read's comics line is a fun addition, but is going to need a reader who can handle a little more complex of a story to fully appreciate. This is hinted at in the series title, which includes a play on words (Styx and Scones, i.e. sticks and stones). The two main characters introduce how to follow the sequence of comic panels and how to read word balloons on the first page and then jump into the story.

The story happens in the main room of a witchy cottage. Miss Hattie, a stereotypical witch with green skin, long hooked nose and chin, and scraggly hair, is dressed in black pants and shirt and going out with Miss Hildy, a plump, gray-haired witch with a straw hat and purple pinafore. Their personalities are clearly opposites and there are little hints of magic all over the room, from a deck of tarot cards and a crystal ball on the table to a scaled hand holding the cauldron over the purple fire. Styx, a sleek, purple cat, is curled up on a pillow while Scones, a friendly brown retriever-type dog with a star on their ear, sits up alertly.

After a lecture from the witches on behaving, they leave. Scones notices that they didn't say anything about the crooked stick on the mantelpiece and immediately grabs it. Styx, bored, explains that it's not a stick but a wand but still gets a big surprise when Scones does magic with it! The two have increasingly raucous fun, with Scones transforming Styx, but then they begin to argue over the wand and panic when they break it. All too soon the witches return; will they be angry or is a really good stick just a good stick? There are a few more shenanigans in store before the story finishes on a light note.

Verdict: I really liked this as it reminded me a bit of a childhood favorite of mine, Hocus and Pocus at the circus. Despite her grouchiness and scary appearance, Miss Hattie turns out to be just as kind as Miss Hildy and the animals goofy antics will have kids giggling as they work their way through the words and pictures. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781665935371; Published June 2023 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library