Only a Witch Can Fly

With breathtakingly beautiful linoleum block print illustrations from Taeeun Yoo - whose debut picture-book, The Little Red Fish, has won many accolades - and an engaging story-idea about a young girl who longs to fly, this is the sort of picture-book I ought (and want) to love. Unfortunately, Alison McGhee's decision to use the sestina to tell her tale, results in a narrative that I believe will prove troublesome for many young readers.

I certainly wish that this were not so, as Only A Witch Can Fly is simply a gorgeous book, with a style and story perfectly suited to the Halloween season. It may be that I am falling into the same sort of error against which I habitually rail - namely, of underestimating the abilities and interests of show more young readers - in which case, I apologize. But I suspect that the artwork on this one will be the main draw for most children. show less

This short, picture book is a wonderful read. Although it strays far away from traditional forms of poetry that rhyme fluidly, this story of a young girl who dreams of flying and her determination to achieve that goal is beautifully executed by the author. The illustrations bring the story to life and has a relatable protagonist that readers will love. As mentioned before, the story is written in the form of a sestina, which is not a style of poetry most are accustomed to seeing. It could be a wonderful activity for a creative writing class for more higher grade students to explore sestinas and even write some of their own.

I really enjoyed the muted colors and the sestina form this book followed, but the beauty of it may be lost on children with short attention spans. Still, worth a try for Hallowe'en!

This unique picture book is written as a sestina, giving it a rhythmic feel. The illustrations have an old-school feel with bold contrasts of dark colors. I could see the simple, yet compelling story being a terrific way to introduce poetry concepts to kids, and perhaps as a springboard for older kids creating their own sestinas.

The rhyme and diction is endearing, but sometimes seems a little forced, most likely due to the unusual choice at using a sestina structure. As an adult, I find the linoleum block illustrations quite inventive and charming, but I could see where a young child might find the minimal color boring. Perhaps this book could be used to teach sestinas in a creative writing class. I wish I could speak higher praises of this book because the illustrations are quite imaginative and the story is sweet, but the narrative is so limited by the archaic structure just as the illustrations are limited by the pallet: neither can flourish.

28 months - I absolutely love love love the block prints in this book. The colors and the look and feel are perfect for the story. I enjoyed the poetry as well but even after the third or fourth read there are areas that I stumble over and double check as if something's just not quite right. I want to absolutely love this one but I just can't give it five stars if I always question what I'm reading.

Beautiful phrases and endearing block prints tell the tale of a little girl who wants to fly... on her broom. The poetry tripped me up a bit and didn't seem to flow all the way through the book, yet I am unfamiliar with the poetry type, so may not have had the right rhythm! Still I think picture books should be able to be picked up and read by anyone - those ignorant to poetry styles and those not!