In this lightweight, witty story, helpful animals find "room on the broom" of a generous witch. At first, a striped cat accompanies the cheerful sorceress: "How the cat purred/ and how the witch grinned,/ As they sat on their broomstick/ and flew through the wind." Next, a spotted dog retrieves the witch's flyaway black hat and asks to come aboard. The three riders soon welcome a green parrot (who finds the witch's lost hair ribbon) and a frog (who rescues her wand from the bottom of a pond). When threatened by a dragon, the loyal animals form a "Brementown Musicians" chimera whose "terrible voice,/ when it started to speak,/ was a yowl and a growl/ and a croak and a shriek." The witch repays them by conjuring a cushier vehicle. Donaldson and Scheffler, previously paired for The Gruffalo, emphasize the airborne animals' contentment and evoke sympathy for the broom's driver. In Scheffler's comical panels and insets, the witch has a warty nose and lace-up boots, but wears a pleasant smile; Donaldson puts a spooky/silly spin on the folktale format. The metrical rhyme and goofy suspense aren't groundbreaking, but readers will likely find it refreshing to see a witch playing against type. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Ages 5-8. Here's a winsome witch: she has a huge nose with a wart but a friendly smile, and her long ginger hair is tied in a polka-dot bow. The wind blows her witch's hat off, and a dog brings it to her and asks if there is room on the broom "for a dog like me." Off they go, but the wind takes the bow in her braid; it is brought back by a green bird, who also asks if there is room on the broom. A storm wrests away the witch's wand; a frog returns it and clambers aboard, too. The witch's broomstick breaks, and she is captured and about to be turned into a dragon's supper, when she is rescued by a four-headed, feathered, and furred monstrous creature. The "monster" is, of course, the witch's new companions and her cat, all ready to help a friend. The rhythm and rhyme are lively and quick, and the pictures partake equally of silly and spooky. The bright red, toothy dragon is particularly impressive. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido

K-Gr 3-A witch and her cat pick up a dog, a bird, and a frog, and fly off on her broomstick. The frog jumps for joy, the broomstick snaps in two, the animals land in a bog, and a dragon captures the witch. What to do? As in the Grimms' "The Bremen Town Musicians," the animals, covered in mud, stand on each other and "yowl," "growl," "croak," and "shriek," scaring the dragon and saving the witch. All's well that ends well for the witch conjures up a super broom with seats for the cat and dog, a nest for the bird, and a pool for the frog. The story is in rhyme, bouncing merrily along, full of fun, and not at all scary. The illustrations are witty and wonderful. All the characters, even the dragon, have the same goofy grin and large, round eyes. Dressed in a purple skirt, red blouse, and black cape and hat, the witch, with a long, ginger braid, is more friendly than frightening. The image of the red dragon carrying her, passed out cold, is a hoot. And her cat is not the traditional black cat; it looks more like a baby tiger. The result is a surefire read-aloud hit.-Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

As a reward for finding a witch's lost belongings, a dog, a bird, and a frog get to ride on her broomstick. The extra weight breaks the broom, and the witch lands at the feet of a hungry dragon. The three animals band together with the witch's cat to save the day. Though told in somewhat forced rhyme, Donaldson's story is full of action and repetition for read-aloud appeal. The moody illustrations add warmth and charm. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Each time the witch loses something in the windy weather, she and her cat are introduced to a new friend who loves flying on her broom. The fluid rhyming and smooth rhythm work together with one repetitive plot element focusing young attention spans until the plot quickens. ("Is there room on the broom for a blank such as me?") When the witch's broom breaks, she is thrown in to danger and the plot flies to the finish. Her friends-cat, dog, frog, and bird-are not likely to scare the dragon who plans on eating the witch, but together they form a formidable, gooey, scary-sounding monster. The use of full-page or even page-and-a-half spreads for many of the illustrations will ensure its successful use in story times as well as individual readings. The wart-nosed witch and her passengers make magic that is sure to please. Effective use of brilliant colors set against well-conceived backgrounds detail the story without need for text-but with it, the story-and the broom-take off. (Picture book. 6-8)