Elizabeth Lindsay

That motherly Yorkshire witch, Heggerty Haggerty, along with her companions - mischievous Broomstick and lazy Blackcat - return in this entertaining digital picture-book. It's the day of the village fête, and Heggerty Haggerty intends to enter her rather modest marrow - a gourd that, in its less mature form is known as a courgette (UK) or zucchini (USA) - in the fête competition. Broomstick, jealously guarding what he imagines is Heggerty Haggerty's prestige, decides that the marrow must show more win, and secretly uses a potion from the witch's spell book, in order to cause it to grow. His plan succeeds a little too well however, and soon a massive marrow is threatening to overtake the entire fête site...

The character of Heggerty Haggerty seems to have first appeared in 1980, in author Elizabeth Lindsay's Heggerty Haggerty and the Dreadful Drought. Then in 1983, the Heggerty Haggerty TV program debuted on Yorkshire Television, with stories provided by Lindsay, narration from actor George Cole, and artwork from Peter Rush. At least eight of the episodes from the program were turned into picture-books - four each in 1984 and 1985 - featuring a slightly expanded text from Lindsay and illustrations from Rush. A number of anthology editions of Heggerty Haggerty stories were published, and an LP was also produced. Eventually the books all went out of print, and the television program slipped into obscurity, seemingly forgotten. More than thirty years later however, in 2019, Elizabeth Lindsay began to republish some of the picture-books, this time in digital format, with new artwork from illustrator Kayleigh Eliza. Heggerty Haggerty and the Hallowe'en Ghosts and Heggerty Haggerty and the Flying Saucer are now available to readers again. That same year, Lindsay released this ebook, Heggerty Haggerty and the Magic Marrow, which, as far as I can tell, seems to be an entirely new story about these characters.

Having read and enjoyed all eight of the episode-based picture-books mentioned above, I was very happy to have a chance to revisit the world of Heggerty Haggerty in this new tale. The rural Yorkshire setting was as charming as ever, and the story theme - Broomstick using magic illicitly, thereby causing chaos that Heggerty Haggerty must undo - was both familiar and amusing. Some of the minor characters from the earlier titles - Farmer Giles, shopkeeper Mrs. Bates - also put in an appearance, which was most welcome. One new development that I noticed here, character-wise, was that more attention was paid in the narrative to Blackcat's thoughts and reactions, something that doesn't seem to have occurred all that frequently, in the earlier books. That too was very welcome, as I had frequently had the thought, when reading the earlier books, that Blackcat was underutilized. The artwork from Kayleigh Eliza herfe was charming - similar in style to that done by Peter Rush, with all of the characters being recognizable, but also a little more colorful. My only critique would be that I wanted more of it, and to see it more evenly spread out, as the book alternated between pages with nothing but text, and those featuring illustration.

I would recommend this one to fans of the Haggerty Haggerty television program and/or book series, as well as to picture-book readers who enjoy witchy fare on the sweeter side. For my own part, I hope to one day track down Heggerty Haggerty and the Dreadful Drought, to see where this character began. I also hope that Lindsay and Eliza will produce more new stories about her and her magical adventures. show less

In 1983, Yorkshire Television launched a children's program entitled Heggarty Haggerty, in which a kindhearted witch, living in a rural cottage with her companions Black Cat and Broomstick, found herself confronting a number of unexpected adventures. These were usually the result of Broomstick's mischief, and it would fall to Heggarty Haggerty, together with the help of either Constable Short or Farmer Giles, to rescue her friend from the consequences of his actions. The scripts for the show show more were written by Elizabeth Lindsay, whose 1980 book, Heggerty Haggerty and the Dreadful Drought, appears to have been the genesis of the character. In 1984, the first of a number of Heggerty Haggerty picture-books was released, and a number of anthologies of stories featuring the character, as well as an audio edition, were subsequently also published. Recently, Lindsay has been reissuing the picture-books in digital form, together with new illustrations.

All of this I learned in the course of seeking more information about the character, after discovering Heggerty Haggerty and the Flying Saucer on The Internet Archive. As someone interested in witchy picture-books, I was immediately intrigued, and simply delighted to discover a previously-unknown-to-me series! The television show was never aired here in the United States - it seems to have been obscure, even in the UK - and the books were never published here, so this witchy character was a complete unknown for me. In this entry in the series, Broomstick decides that he wants a flying saucer of his own after reading a story about one, and, sneaking a peak at Heggerty Haggerty's Book of Spells, he enchants a saucer kept in the house. When he and a very reluctant Black Cat jet off on a wild flying adventure, it falls to Heggerty Haggerty to track them down and bring them home, before a startled Constable Short rouses the entire countryside, in order to confront the seeming UFO...

Although I wouldn't describe this as a personal favorite when it comes to witchy tales, I did enjoy both the story and artwork in Heggerty Haggerty and the Flying Saucer, and can understand why someone who first encountered it as a child would have fond memories of it. Heggerty Haggerty is clearly a witch in the cozy, rather than the scary tradition. The edition I read was the original one from 1985, which contained the artwork of Peter Rush, although there is apparently a new version in the works, with illustrations by Kayleigh Eliza. I'm not sure if I'll be able to track down all of the Heggerty Haggerty titles, but I would certainly like to read more about these characters. I'd also love to watch some of the episodes from the television show, although all I've been able to track down so far is a youtube video showing the opening credits. Alas! Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy humorous and heartwarming witchy fare. show less

Yorkshire witch Heggerty Haggerty and her two boon companions, Blackcat and Broomstick, come to the aid of their closest neighbor, Farmer Giles, in this sweet witchy picture-book. Learning that Farmer Giles has the flu, Heggerty Haggerty loads up her basket with her medicine, tomato soup and spell book, and the trio set out. After settling the patient in his bed, with Blackcat to warm his feet, Heggerty Haggerty heads to the bottom field, intending to plough. Unfortunately, her skills in show more this area leave something to be desired, and Broomstick must step in with some magic, to get the plough ploughing straight. But when the pair return to Farmer Giles' house for a while, leaving the enchanted plough to its own devices, that vehicle makes for the village, leaving chaos in its wake...

Heggerty Haggerty and the Day at the Farm is the fourth picture-book I have read devoted to the magical (mis)adventures of this kindly witch, her sentient broomstick, and her black cat, following upon Heggerty Haggerty and the Flying Saucer, Heggerty Haggerty and the Great Running Race and Heggerty Haggerty and the Hallowe'en Ghosts. Like those others, I found it quite entertaining, enjoying its gentle tale of a neighborly witch, her two assistants, and her circle of friends in her Yorkshire village. There's usually an element of magic going astray in these books, and this was no different, but matters are amicably solved, with a little more magic from Heggerty Haggerty. Each of the books in this series appears to correspond to an episode from the Heggerty Haggerty show that appeared on Yorkshire Television, beginning in 1983. They are illustrated by Peter Rush in a vintage cartoon style that is very appealing. All in all, a fun little romp, one I would recommend to fans of Heggerty Haggerty - for my part, I wish I could watch the television show - and to picture-book readers who enjoy witch tales on the sweeter, rather than the spooky side. show less

That kindly Yorkshire witch Heggerty Haggerty returns in this picture-book, along with her companions Blackcat and Broomstick. Annoyed that Heggerty Haggerty won't read a ghost story to him in the middle of the day, because she has work to do, Broomstick sets up a series of pranks, in order to convince his witch and cat companion that their house is haunted. Little does he expect that the tables will be turned, as Heggerty Haggerty takes advantage of the fact that it is Hallowe'en to return show more the favor...

Heggerty Haggerty and the Hallowe'en Ghosts is the third picture-book I have read devoted to these characters, following upon Heggerty Haggerty and the Flying Saucer and Heggerty Haggerty and the Great Running Race. Each of the books in this series appears to correspond to an episode from the television show Heggerty Haggerty, which aired on Yorkshire Television, beginning in 1983. In any case, I found the story here engaging, and appreciated the way in which our eponymous witchy heroine managed to turn the tables on the mischievous Broomstick. There were a number of details I found interesting, from Heggerty Haggerty's work to restock her spell ingredients - she must pound moon rocks in her mortar, in order to make moondust - to the fact that she uses carved turnips for jack-o-lanterns, rather than pumpkins. Carved turnips are in fact the origin of the jack-o-lantern, even if pumpkins have become more ubiquitous, so I found their inclusion in the story quite appealing. All in all, this was a fun little Hallowe'en romp, one I would recommend to readers who enjoy witchy picture-books, as well as to fans of Heggerty Haggerty. show less