The story of a kindly, but rather careless, witch is told in rhyme that flows naturally off the tongue and is quickly remembered by any little people listening. It builds suspense as a hungry dragon wants to eat the witch, but her kindness means that her friends come to her aid and all ends well.

If you've a little person in your life and you don't already have this book, buy it, it'll be a firm favourite from the first time you sit down to read it together.

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Product Description

The witch and her cat fly happily over forests, rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. They are retrieved by a dog, a bird and a frog, and each animal asks for a ride on the broom. They climb on, one after the next, until the broom is so heavy that it snaps in two!

What will happen next as they tumble into a bog and meet a greedy dragon?

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2023 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Board book
• 26 pages

Red House, November 2004
...Little ones as young as 6 months can get their hands on this first class picture book.

The Independent, December 16, 2001
These rollicking rhymes explore the virtue of co-operation. We loved it.

About the Author

Julia Donaldson’s many books for Macmillan include the Smarties gold award-winning THE GRUFFALO (0 333 71093 2) and the best-selling MONKEY PUZZLE (0 333 72001 6). Julia is also much in demand for her brilliant events for children at schools, libraries and literary festivals.

Axel Scheffler has had books published in over a dozen countries. His books for Macmillan have included THE BEDTIME BEAR, the Smarties gold award-winning THE GRUFFALO (0 333 71093 2) and MONKEY PUZZLE (0 333 72001 6). Born in Hamburg, he now lives in London.

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Customer Reviews

Brilliant fun!
This is the story of a good-natured witch and her contented, purring, cat flying through the air on a broomstick without a care in the world - until the wind blows away the witch's hat. When they fly down to retrieve the hat, a polite, helpful dog brings it to them and becomes another passenger on the broom. Throughout the book they also pick up a bird and a frog, making the broom very overcrowded. Then disaster strikes; the broom snaps in two causing the witch to become separated from her friends and a potential meal to a large red dragon.

This is an extremely eye catching and appealing book aimed at preschool and lower primary school children. Donaldson and Schefflers story and illustrations work extremely well together to capture children's attention right from the start of the book. The use of illustration mixed through the large, bold, font makes it seem friendly to a beginner reader. But this is essentially a book for sharing, the use of repetition throughout the story encourages children to join in the reading and the book appeals to their sense of humour with comical allusions:"I'm planning to have WITCH AND CHIPS for my tea". Julia Donaldson has also made a song to accompany the book that children can enjoy singing and performing to.

This is a fantastic book and I cannot recommend it enough.

Another winner from Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler seem to produce fantastic book after fantastic book and this is one of the very, very best.

My son (nearly 4) and I love this book - he never seems to tire of hearing it and I certainly have not tired of reading it.

As usual the illustrations are fantastic and the story is great to read aloud - written with a wonderful sense of rhyme and rhythm making great use of repetition.

Love it

A book to make you chuckle night after night!
I bought this book a few weeks ago for our little boy of 18 months. I guess if I were to have thought more about it I would have waited a couple of years (a witch and a monster are both mentioned) I am glad I didn't though! He doesn't know what a witch is but he loves the rhymes and even taps the book now for the "taps the broomstick" bit. It is a very well paced story with a lot of characters that even the youngest reader/listener will recognise (cat, dog, bird, frog) and the rhyming is hilarious.
There are few books that our little one will sit through without squirming and getting bored. THis is the longest book by far that I read to him and he is hooked from start to finish. I will certainly be buying more by the same author!