The clever little witch who debuted in author/illustrator Linda Glovach's 1972 The Little Witch's Black Magic Cookbook, and who then also starred in her 1973 The Little Witch's Black Magic Book of Disguises, returns in this third title, this time exploring the world of games. Sections are devoted to Games to Play Alone, Games to Play With a Friend, Games to Play With Two Friends, Group Games, Party Games and Holiday Games. Like its two predecessors, the book opens with the "Little Witch's Code," which in this case sets out rules for fair play and showing respect for all participants, and it closes with an index. It also includes a section on determining order of play—always a key question when children play, as I recall...

Published in hardcover in 1974 as The Little Witch's Black Magic Book of Games, this third book in Glovach's series of books about a little witch and her activities was also published in paperback simply as The Little Witch's Book of Games. It highlights twenty-nine games, all of them easy to play, and none of them requiring special equipment or tools. Much as I did with the earlier books, I found it quite charming, appreciating the adorable illustrations, which capture the eponymous Little Witch and her friends having all kinds of fun, as well as the activities themselves. As another reviewer noted, books of this sort often contain games only for children in larger groups, so it's nice to see sections devoted to solitary play, as well as play with a more limited selection of friends. Recommended to young people (and their caretakers) looking for fun games to play, and for a witchy game/activity book. ( )

Charming. As a parent I love Little Witch's Code about playing fair and respecting the host's home. As a child I would have loved most of these games - most of which I have not seen in other similar books. Many of these books assume a group of children, such as a nursery school - but here are included simple games for just one or two.

For example, how about a quick bout of Arm's Length Tag? Two of you stand or sit just barely in reach of each other and try to evade by ducking, bending over, wriggling, turning around in place - but not by running! Or if you're all alone and bored, challenge yourself to have a snack, read a book, whatever you like - but using only feet and toes, head, nose, teeth, elbows... not your hands!

And if you do have all the cousins over for a holiday, you-all and the young-at-heart kin can play Elf Hide and Seek. Instead of Hide the Thimble, 'It' (the Elf) imagines a place somewhere in the room where a tiny elf could hide. The others take turns guessing (grandma's teacup? behind the star on the tree?). Or the others can guess questions to narrow down the parameters of the search (inside something? on the north side of the room?) and the Elf can answer yes/ no and hot/ cold. ( )