It would also be remiss not to praise illustrator Edward Ardizzone, who is perhaps the only other member in a class with Ernest Shepard.

If you have a child who WANTS scary books. If you have a child who is afraid of witches, this book would be great for helping him or her cope with that fear. I think many children will find solace and a sense of belonging in this book because they might identify more with Amy (who is a strong leader, often taking the initiative in crafting the narrative and suggesting adventure) or Clarissa (who is less consistently creative, but clearly glad to have a friend like Amy who brings so much excitement to her life, and who is always able to go along on the journey because she has as much imagination and wonder when given a chance.) The book presents them both as okay, which could mean a lot to both extroverted, brave, imaginative children and introverted, gentler children who are less often appreciated and praised for their gifts.Īn important note: this book is NOT scary.

That said, however, Estes is absolutely genius at capturing the little nuances of how young girls (perhaps young children in general, but I can only speak with authority on girls) interact when they play - how they introduce new concepts for games and stories to each other and adapt to each other's additions to their shared world. I remember reading the book to myself over and over when I was a couple of years older and able to read it on my own - I hadn't outgrown Amy and Clarissa at all. A parent reading to their child, however, will love every single word, understand an additional six dozen ways the book is delightfully funny, and be thrilled at how much their child is learning and how much more curious and engaged he or she is becoming both with books and with his or her own imagination. Christoper Robin is 3-5 in the Pooh books while Amy and Clarissa are 6 in this book, and in both cases there's no way a child of the protagonist's age would actually be able to read the book to him or herself. It has many of the same qualities as Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner - young children who live out tremendous adventures in their imagination with characters who are typically treated by the author as though they are also real, though every once in a while perspective shifts and you see the drawings of Old Witch, Little Witch Girl, Lurie (the little mermaid), Weeny Witchy, Malechai (The Spelling Bee - yes, he is an enchanted bee who spells everything he says) and the others, the same way the illustrations occasionally show you the animals in Winnie the Pooh as stuffed animals.Īnother similarity is in the witty sophistication of the language.

The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes