Ursula Jones (1) (1950–)

When the witch's three children go for a walk one day, the local buses know that "that means TROUBLE," and attempt to hide behind the lorries. But the madcap trio is not to be escaped, as they turn young Gemma into a goose, the conductor of the Number 16 Bus into a rich sultan, and the bus itself into a magic flying carpet. Whizzing along, the enchanted conveyance causes more trouble at the Queen's palace, knocking the soldiers' busbies off their heads and earning the outraged monarch's ire. show more Attempting to put things right, the youngest witch child transforms the soldiers into jam tarts instead! But just when all seems hopelessly tangled, the three children summon their mother, who puts all to rights...

Like its predecessor, which chronicles these witchy youngsters' madcap adventures in a park, The Witch's Children and the Queen features the same kind of well-intentioned spells gone wrong, usually through inability to reverse them. The narrative is entertaining and humorous, with some particularly clever bits - as when the ensorcelled soldiers declare that they are "in a jam!" - and a clever solution that emphasizes the seemingly all-seeing nature of maternal authority. Knowing that they must do something prohibited, in order to draw the witch's attention, and get her to come flying to the rescue, each youngster does what it knows it should not. The artwork by Russell Ayto, with its use of color, and its stylized figures (whether elongated or dumpy), matches the zany atmosphere of the adventure perfectly. I found myself enjoying this second outing with the mischievous witchy trio even more than the first, and hope to track down the third, and thus far final volume, The Witch's Children Go to School, as soon as possible! show less

When the witch's three children show up at the park one day, the pigeons and squirrels - who know what to expect from this trouble-making trio - decamp to the trees with all possible haste. Their trepidation proves more than justified when the three children make chaos with their improperly understood magic: first they turn young Gemma into a frog, in order to allow her to retrieve her toy boat from the pond, and then they turn them (the pigeons and squirrels), as well as the ice cream lady show more and her truck, into the characters and accoutrements of a fairy-tale, in order to transform Gemma from a frog into a prince. Unable to reverse their spells, the two elder children are stymied. The youngest however, who has been hilariously entertained by the goings on, knows a piece of magic that never fails, summoning her mother with a wail...

The first of three picture-books to feature the witch's children - the subsequent two are The Witch's Children and the Queen and The Witch's Children Go to School - this amusing title demonstrates that good intentions are not enough, as the eponymous witch's children wreak havoc, even while trying to be helpful. I appreciated the author's use of fairy-tale themes, and the fact that the strongest magic known to the youngest witchy trouble-maker was a wail of "Mommy!" After all, for many young children, an appeal to parental power is the surest way to solve any problem. The artwork by Russell Ayto had a quirky sensibility that, while not exactly my cup of tea, was definitely attention-grabbing! All in all, The Witch's Children is an engaging addition to any witchy picture-book shelf, and is recommended to younger readers who enjoy madcap mischief with a magical bent. show less

A Disney kind of a story, simple theme dressed up in longish text and confectionary illustrations. Too much of the stuff that doesn't matter, too much like an 'instant classic.' And even though it's supposed to be smarter than traditional fairy tales, there's still insta-love. But I did love the thrift of selling royal cast-offs and being disturbed about the food fight... so, rounding up from 2.5 stars.

This is a strange and lovely book that I picked up on a whim. The illustrations have a Lotte Reiniger-esque feel to them, and the gentle lesson about true value works well, if presented in a slightly unexpected way. This sensible, financially-conscious Princess and myself would get along splendidly. Three "hurrays!" all around.