Ian Cunliffe

A young girl declares that she wants to be a witch in this cute picture-book from English children's author and artist Ian Cunliffe, but is only attracted to certain aspects of the role. While appreciating things like wearing a sparkly hat and having a cat companion, she is not at all interested in green hair, curled-up boots or a warty nose. Most of all though, she wants to be a witch because she wants to be just like her mother...

A sweet, heartwarming story is paired with colorful, attention-grabbing illustrations in I Want to be a Witch, which would make a good bedtime story for younger children who enjoy witchy fare that is on the gentler side. The young narrator's preferences reflect a rejection of some of the physical characteristics—green hair, warty nose, hairy chin—that are often associated with bad witches, but there is also a rejection of bad behavior, from making horrid potions to turning people (like one's brother) into frogs. Although not destined to become a personal favorite, from an aesthetic perspective, I did think the artwork was cute, and appreciated the decorative endpapers (I do like decorative endpapers!). All in all, this is one I would recommend to little would-be witches, and to picture-books audiences who enjoy stories about nice (rather than nasty) witches.… (more)