Leonard Kessler (1921–2022)

As Halloween approaches in this entertaining early reader/beginning chapter-book, Grandpa Witch finds himself hosting his two grandchildren, Wanda and Willy, who have come to learn some magic tricks in time for the big night. Although he sometimes bungles his spells, Grandpa Witch does manage to teach the pair a thing or two, including how to fly. But when he shows them his magic dooblelator, a marvelous machine that can duplicate anything, the results are most unexpected. Fortunately, show more everyone is happy with the idea of two of Wanda and two of Willy, and the children head out to enjoy Halloween night...

Published in 1981 by Macmillan, Grandpa Witch and the Magic Doobelator was part of that publisher's Ready-to-Read collection, and is a very basic chapter-book (essentially, an early reader in chapters). I initially sought it out because of my interest in witchy picture-books, early readers and other illustrated texts, but felt that co-author Leonard Kessler's name sounded very familiar, for some reason. Imagine my surprise and delight to discover that he was the author/illustrator of Last One In Is a Rotten Egg, an I Can Read book that I really loved as a girl. That association is a welcome one, but I enjoyed this tale for its own sake, appreciating the mixed-up magic of Grandpa Witch, and the fact that in this magical world, incorrectly done spells result in a cat appearing. Needless to say, our grandfatherly witch had a lot of cats! I also appreciated that Grandpa is a male witch, as this is something I rarely see in witchy tales. Usually, male magical practitioners are called wizards, magicians or sorcerers, but every once in a while you get a male witch, and it is always interesting. I enjoyed the artwork here as much as the story, and particularly liked the depiction of the many cats. All in all, a sweet, engaging early-reader, one I would recommend to beginning readers who enjoy witchy fare with a humorous, rather than a spooky feeling. show less

Willie, Bobby and Freddy head to their community pool one hot summer day in this beginning reader from author/illustrator Leonard Kessler. While Willie and Bobby are accomplished swimmers, Freddy is just beginning, and is not allowed into the deep end of the pool. When he is pushed in by two older bullies, he has a frightening experience, and is rescued from drowning by the pool lifeguard. Although this causes some initial reluctance on his part to return to the pool, eventually Freddy does show more go back, learning to swim from Tom the lifeguard, and standing up to the bullies who pushed him into the pool...

Originally published in 1969, Last One In Is a Rotten Egg is a book that I owned as a young girl, and that I have fond memories of reading. The simple text is paired with engaging artwork in color, and the book as a whole explores some important themes, from water safety to conquering one's fears, not to mention the importance of confronting bullies. Although it's not something I recall remarking upon as a girl, rereading this as an adult I am struck by the interracial friendship of Euro-Americans Freddy and Bobby with African-American Willie, and that this is simply not commented upon in the text. Given that the book was created and published in the 1960s, a few short years after swimming pools were desegregated by law, it's difficult not to think that this was a deliberate choice on Kessler's part, and perhaps a statement. The two girls who challenge Willie and Bobby to a race, at one point, are also diverse - one African-American, the other either Euro-American or Latino.

This book provided an enjoyable reread for me, and I would recommend it to beginning readers looking for enjoyable summer stories, or tales featuring swimming and/or addressing bullying. show less

Author/illustrator Leonard Kessler, perhaps best known for such early readers as Last One In Is a Rotten Egg! (1969) and Kick, Pass, and Run (1966), presents a collection of Halloween riddles in this title from 1978. The riddles center around Willa Witch and her two companions, Jolly Ghost and Fat Cat. Each riddle - "Willa Witch cooks a spooky story in her bubbling pot. What is she? ... A book cook!" - is arranged in such a way that the reader must turn the page for the solution, and each show more one is accompanied by jokes from two wise-cracking birds. In total, there are twenty-two riddles presented...

After recently reading Ethel and Leonard Kessler's witchy early reader, Grandpa Witch and the Magic Doobelator, I was reminded of my great fondness for Leonard Kessler's Last One In Is a Rotten Egg!, one of my favorite books from early childhood. After rereading and enjoying that title, I decided to go looking for other books from this vintage children's book creator, and landed on Riddles That Rhyme for Halloween Time. As someone with an interest in witchy picture-books and early readers - essentially, witchy children's books where illustrations are an important part of the storytelling - someone who was also predisposed to appreciate Kessler's work, I felt sure I would enjoy this one. Unfortunately, I found it mostly lackluster, and wasn't terribly amused by either riddles or jokes. Perhaps I am just not the right audience for this sort of thing, as I never had much time for joke books as a kid either. All that said, I did find the depiction of Willa Witch herself - witch's hat, glasses, green and white striped dress, tall boots - quite charming, in a fun, quirky way. All in all, I'm glad to have read this one, even if I didn't love it, as it allowed me to add Willa to my "witchy witches" collection. Tastes vary of course, so children who enjoy riddles and silly jokes might find this one entertaining. It is to them that I would recommend it. show less

At some point, this book may have been funny. For kids now, it is likely to mainly be confusing. Each page gives a Halloween themed clue. The answer is a pair of rhyming words. Some rely on out-of-date slang.