Phoebe Wahl

Author/illustrator Phoebe Wahl follows the eponymous Little Witch Hazel through the four seasons in this delightful picture storybook, depicting a woodland world full of enchantment and friendship. In Spring: The Orphaned Egg, Hazel cares for an abandoned egg, raising Otis the owl when he hatches. Summer: The Lazy Day sees our witchy heroine attempting to get some work done, only to finally give in to the relaxation and pleasure-seeking of her peers. Autumn: The Haunted Stump sees Hazel and show more her friends investigating a very spooky sound, and making a new friend in the process. Finally, in Winter: The Blizzard, Hazel finds herself the one in need of help, after her many good deeds aiding all of her friends. Fortunately, Otis is nearby, and all ends well...

Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest is the first book I have read from Wahl, but I certainly hope it will not be the last! I had never heard of her before having this one recommended to me, so I am glad to have that oversight corrected, as her story was engaging and her artwork simply charming. I sought this one out (and had it recommended to me) largely on the strength of my interest in witchy picture-books, but having now read it, I think Hazel is less of a witch, in the traditional sense, and more of an elf or woodland sprite. Her "magic" consists of herbal concoctions and traditional healing, rather than casting spells or enchantments. Of course, I suppose one could argue that the figure of the witch initially does come from the Wise Woman herbalist/healer archetype, so perhaps Hazel is a witch after all. Whatever the case might be, she makes an appealing little heroine, and I hope that Wahl will revisit her world, with its cast of animals and magical creatures, and its days of fun and friendship. I was reminded a bit here of the work of such greats as Elsa Beskow, as well as such books as Marilyn Nickson and Fritz Baumgartne's Nicky and His Forest Friends. Highly recommended to young fairy-tale enthusiasts, or picture-book readers who enjoy seasonal stories with some magic in them. show less

This is really sweet, and one of the best books I've seen on coping with the loss of a beloved animal. I love that the message is just about everyone doing the best they can for the ones they love -- girl, father, fox.

I think this might be my favorite picture book. The story of a single father and a gender non-conforming son who must leave their beloved blue house after a landlord sells the lot. It tells a very human story about gentrification by focusing on a family pair as they navigate an unexpected move. Leo, the son, struggles at first with being upset. His father helps him express himself, and they share their grief and other emotions. I love the beautiful illustrations. Vibrant colors are used to show more express the two characters' emotions. The wrap-around interior cover showing the neighborhood changing over time is a beautiful bookend. show less

This unexpectedly wistful book precisely captures the melancholy that comes with change. Leo and his father live and make do in a blue house that they love despite its ramshackle condition. In the neighborhood around them, change (think gentrification) is taking place with new construction. Eventually, the landlord sells the blue house and Leo and his father have to move (although not too far away as it turns out). They will always hold memories of the blue house even as they make a home of show more the new one. Perhaps reflecting their modest and hardscrabble life, Leo's father never once smiles in the illustrations, while Leo is less somber, yet you sense they are a close-knit team getting by the best they can in an evolving environment. show less