Susanna Isern

Sophia loved casting spells with her magic wand, intoning the word "Abracadabra" and producing entertaining results, from filling the water pitcher with frogs to turning her mother's plants blue. But then one day when her baby brother Hugo annoyed her, she used her wand on him, turning him into a donkey. While amusing at first, the situation soon got out of hand, and Sophia realized that no matter how annoying, she liked having her brother around. He, in the meantime, had been paying close show more attention to her behavior...

Originally published in Spain as La pequeña maga, and translated for the English-language market by Madrid-based publisher NubeOcho, The Little Magician is a book I sought out because witchy picture books are a pet project of mine, and I thought it might fit the theme. Although Sophia is called a magician rather than a witch—maga rather than bruja—it fits well enough. In any case, I enjoyed the story here, with its exploration of the classic theme of sibling tension, and the eventual discovery of sibling love, and I got quite a chuckle out of the conclusion, in which Hugo transforms the children's grandmother into an elephant. Not only was this humorous, but it was also heartwarming, as it indicated how closely he had been watching his big sister. I don't know that the accompanying artwork from illustrator Amélie Graux was really to my taste—something about the oversized eyes just left me feeling unease—but it certainly was attention-grabbing! Recommended to young picture book readers and audiences who enjoy humorous stories about siblings and/or magic. show less

The animals of Green Forest find their serene, somewhat sedate lives disrupted by the nighttime antics of Dormouse, whom they find slumbering away in various makeshift beds in their respective homes, come the morning. Dormouse declares that he is trying out new beds, an explanation the animals find insufficient. When they tell him he must desist from creeping into their homes at night, he sets out for the nearby Gray Forest, to sleep in the home of a very dangerous wolf. Discovering that he show more has been acting this way because of his fear of sleeping alone, the animals of Green Forest are contrite, embarking out on a rescue mission to bring Dormouse home, and informing him once there of the solution they have come up with. From now on he will have seven beds, in seven homes, for the seven nights of the week...

Originally published in Spain as Las siete camas de Lirón, this charming bedtime tale is the fifth book I have read from Madrid-based publisher NubeOcho, who have begun to release English-language editions of some of their titles here in the states. Of those I have seen, it is possibly my favorite. The story here is quirky and engaging, with a conclusion that will charm young children, while the artwork is simply gorgeous. Although not the first book I have seen from author Susanna Isern, Dormouse and his Seven Beds is my first encounter with illustrator Marco Somà's work, which made quite an impression upon me. The lovely color palette used, the beautiful tree-homes of the various animals, the droll expressiveness on the faces of the various characters, when they discover Dormouse in the morning - all these combine to create a wonderfully rich, and satisfying visual experience. Recommended to anyone looking for somewhat offbeat bedtime stories, as well as to those interested in European picture-books in translation. For my part, I will definitely be looking for more of both Isern and Somà's work. show less

Some people — although not enough — have heard about Amelia Bloomer, who popularized what was called the Turkish dress for women and what we would call harem pants. But those were not real trousers. For popularizing real pants for women, we must turn to Luisa Capetillo, a Puerto Rican writer, labor leader, anarchist and women’s rights activist from the turn of the 20th century.

As a child, free-thinking Luisa borrowed her father’s trousers, which allowed her to climb trees, run and show more get around much more easily than the heavy skirts worn by women and girls in the 19th century. As in the United States with bloomers, at first people mocked her, but by the 1920s, most people had come around. That’s how change works. Highly, highly recommended to readers of all ages!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and NubeOcho in exchange for an honest review. show less

Despising laughter and happiness, the Witch Philomena uses her magic crystal ball to cause mayhem from her home on Spooky Island in this picture book from Spain. Spying Daniela the Pirate and the crew of the Black Croc having a great time hunting treasure, she sends a treacherous wind to steal their map, dive-bombing seagulls to destroy their sails, and terrible rocks to crash their ship. Undaunted by these catastrophes, Daniela sets out to capture the witch once she learns that she is the show more cause of their troubles. But what will happen when she and the crew learn why Philomena is such a pest...?

Originally published in Spanish as Daniela Pirata y la bruja Sofronisa, this is a title I tracked down because of my interest in witchy picture books. I was not aware that it was actually the third story about Daniela and her crew, following upon Daniela the Pirate and Daniela and the Pirate Girls. In any case, I found the story here engaging, and appreciated Philomena's dedication to causing disasters. Given that tales of sweeter witches are now more common, I was impressed that here was a magic maker of true malice. Of course, the resolution of the tale sees her tamed, and reveals that her destructive actions were the result of childhood bullying, so it turned out to be a sweeter witch tale after all. Despite that, and my feeling that everything was resolved too easily, I still enjoyed the story and appreciated illustrator Gómez' humorous and colorful artwork. I would recommend this one to picture book audiences who enjoy pirate stories and/or witchy tales. For myself, I will have to see about tracking down earlier books in the series. show less