Hilarious story about a Witch who has everything but a cat. She interviews several candidates who don't make the bar... and then she goes to the SPCA (best place to get a furry friend anyway!). ( )

Griselda the witch had everything she needed to complete her magic spells, save for a cat familiar and friend. Putting an advertisement on her door, she received a number of feline applicants, including Percy the Persian, Sophie the Siamese and Thomas the Tabby. Each cat was lacking in the necessary qualities of a witch's cat however, and soon Griselda was beside herself with disappointment. It was then that her helpful cauldron gave her the idea of visiting the local shelter, where she found Soot, a black witch's cat down on his luck...

Originally published in New Zealand as Witch's Cat Wanted: Apply Within, and then in the UK with a new cover and the slightly different different title of Wanted: Witch's Cat: Apply Within, this delightful picture-book from author Joy H. Davidson and illustrator Nikki Slade Robinson has plenty of witchy charm. Quite a bit of it is in rhyming text, which reads quite well aloud, and the overall story is entertaining. I liked the inclusion of the shelter subplot, and found the artwork cute. As someone who loves witchy picture-books - a pet project of mine - I would definitely recommend this one, and would track down the sequel, if Davidson and Robinson ever decided to create it. ( )