Nick Sharratt

A variety of animals in a variety of assonant vehicles, sung to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”

Not to be “that person” about a kids book but, this is anti-bus propaganda. The cool thing about The Wheels on the Bus is that it’s about the normal, everyday occurrences of riding the bus! There’s no need to change the lyrics unless you find riding the bus completely unrelatable, which my niece won’t if I can help it! (I do actually enjoy this book.)

From lollipops to rabbit plops, burnt ghosts to hot toast, strawberry tea to goblin pee there are many things to be discovered inside the witch's kitchen. Open the refrigerator door to the left and you may discover something yummy, but open it to the right and you may discover something terribly yucky.

My two year old daughter adores this book! This is another book that I was weary of with all the flaps and openings because she is unfortunately very brutal on books (well, everything). Not show more that she always does it on purpose, it's just that our sweet Littlebug is a bit of a klutz. So how do I know when she truly loves a book? Well, in the case of a pull/lift/flap/etc. book I know because she treats it with extra special care and that's exactly what she's been doing with What's in the Witch's Kitchen?. She's been bringing it to me quite often over the last few weeks and I've even caught her one or two times opening and closing the little flaps with the utmost care.

Each page has the option of opening a different item in the witch's kitchen to discover either very yummy or yucky things by flipping the flap to the left or right. To be honest, at first I couldn't figure it out. It took my four year old son showing me how to do it (yes, my four year old is smarter than I am). The flaps, though appearing to only open one way can actually open either and it's so so neat! Both the kiddos and myself have sat flipping the doors back and forth for quite some time because it's just so much fun. Then, at the end you have the great surprise of a full two page pop-out witch coming to life before your eyes!

What's in the Witch's Kitchen? by Nick Sharratt is a creepy spooky story that even the littlest Halloween fans will appreciate and their parents will happily read to them. Filled with delightful rhyming texts and adorable illustrations it's easy to help the very youngest of readers enjoy a sometimes scary holiday. As you flip back and forth the doors, cupboards and more readers will discover just exactly the witch has hidden in her kitchen. Could it be a yummy treat or something dreadfully yucky?

My original review was posted at There's A Book. show less

This is a series of choices about what could happen if a monster is born, and each choice expands depending on the outcome. The concept of ideas nested within each other is very cool - could be used to talk about exponential growth or something because as we read along it becomes hard to keep track of all of the possibilities we've been through. Really a neat, original concept. Circular, like "...Give a Mouse a Cookie" but not in an annoying way!

British children's author and illustrator Nick Sharratt delivers a fun-filled witchy lift-the-flap adventure with this latest book aimed at younger children! Just in time for Halloween comes What's in the Witch's Kitchen?, which provides two answers to its own question: one naughty, and one nice. (Oops! Sorry, wrong holiday!). With clever accordion-style flaps, that reveal one image when lifted one way, and another when pulled in the other, young readers are in for both trick and show more treat!

Although quite familiar with Sharratt's name, I can't think of any other work by him that I have happened to read. I wouldn't say that this first foray has completely blown me away, but I did find it pleasantly engaging, and I imagine young children will enjoy lifting these flaps, and trying to figure out how they can be lifted on both sides, to reveal different images. Recommended to those looking for Halloween appropriate titles for the younger, pop-up book set! show less