I know she would have loved it and asked me to read it to her again and again if she were younger.

A pity my daughter is already a teenager. This is an ADORABLY CUTE picture book! It kept a smile on my face all the way to the very satisfying, surprising ending. I might check out this author's Humbug Potion: An A B Cipher, if I get a chance. The Humbug Witch is rather gross looking (in an endearing way), making her eventual 'transformation' all the more satisfying! All in all, a sweet little witchy adventure, one I recommend to fans of the genre.

Many readers will correctly guess the answer to this question, and the revelation waiting for them at the end of the tale, but others, especially the young children at whom Lorna Balian's tale is aimed, might very well be surprised! The story itself is engaging, and the artwork, which has a vintage 60s style, is fun and appealing. Is she a failure - a humbug witch? Or is she something else altogether.? Although she looks the part, with her big nose, crooked teeth, and stringy red hair, and has the proper attire, from her tall black hat (slightly squashed) to her orange gloves, somehow her spells just don't seem to work! Whether she's trying to make her broom fly, or to turn her cat Fred into an alligator, everything she does is a big flop. Originally published in 1965 (my edition is a reprint from Abingdon Press, put out in 1985), Humbug Witch is a charming little vintage picture-book, following the trials and tribulations of a witch who just can't seem to do anything right.

Humbug witch by lorna balian