Carolyn Dinan

Ada the witch makes her kidnapped boy-servant Joe do all of her work in this British picture-book from author/illustrator Carolyn Dinan, always promising that he can go home if he hurries. Her bespelled basket runs errands, fetching her steak and sausage from the butcher's shop, and taking the clothing and jewelry that she wants from their respective stores. When her misbegotten loot becomes overwhelming, she orders the magic basket to carry everything home, only to see it return Joe to his show more home as well...

The first of two stories dedicated to the adventures of Ada the Witch - the second is The Witch's Birthday Present - The Witch's Shopping Spree is apparently based upon a story idea by one Simon Spencer. I'm not sure who Spencer is, but although I generally enjoy witchy tales - picture-books and early readers featuring witches are a pet project of mine - I didn't find this one particularly appealing. Ada is an unpleasant character, unsympathetic to Joe's physical and emotional suffering, and Joe is an uninteresting one, despite his plight. The artwork is colorful, but also not particularly to my taste. show less