Synopsis
It's Haloween, and Tegan, the witch's daughter, can't wait to Trick or Treat. First she must hurry home to help with her mother's special Haloween spell. But when she gets there, she discovers a sleeping wathog is blocking her gate! Too afraid to go near the nasty, tusked beast, Tegan tries to cast a few spells, but neither the dog, nor the stick, nor the magic match wil obey her bossy commands. What's a little witch to do? Just as she begins to worry that she'll never make it home in time for Trick or Treat, an old man comes walking down the road. Seeing her distress, the old man offers a suggestion: If spells won't work, maybe Tegan should try the magic of persuasion?
Publishers Weekly
A witch's daughter fetches a bucket of water but a warthog impedes the path to her front door. "Too young to cast spells," she wonders how to dispose of the beast. She attempts a series of spells anyway, uttered as bossy commands that work no magic ("Stick, stick beat dog. Dog, dog bite warthog so I can get home in time for Trick or Treat"). Finally, an "old man" suggests she try "persuasion"; his suggestion works, setting off a chain of rather nasty effects that nonetheless achieve the girl's desired results. Atwell's (Pearl) artwork is oddly inconsistent here, and does little to buoy the mean-spirited message. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.