Although she practiced and practiced, Winnie Haggerty** just couldn't get her broom to fly, and with Halloween approaching, she feared she would be left behind on the big night. Her wise grandmother assured her that when she truly wanted to, she would find herself flying, and sure enough, when her cat companion, Goblin, got stuck in a tree, Winnie found she had what it took...

This cute little witchy adventure pairs a simple but engaging tale from author Mary Packard with colorful, cartoon-style artwork from illustrator Doug Cushman. It doesn't cover much new ground, when it comes to the genre - witchy picture-books are awash with young witches who are either reluctant or challenged, when it comes to their magical skills - but it is nevertheless quite sweet. It is a "glow in the dark" book, with pages that are meant to be held up to a light bulb, and then viewed in the dark. Unfortunately, as I read the book online, I was unable to experience that aspect of the book. Recommended to young witches, and to picture-book readers looking for fun Halloween stories.

**I'm not sure why it is, but Haggerty seems to be a common witch name, in stories I've encountered. It is also used in Elizabeth Lindsay's Heggerty Haggerty books, based upon the Yorkshire animated television show of the same name. The name is of Irish origin, and descends from the Gaelic Ó hÉigceartaigh. I'm not aware of any witchy connotations associated with it, so I suspect its popularity as a witch name is owing to the Anglicized version containing the word 'hag.' In any case, as a witchy picture-book aficionado, I found this intriguing. ( )

This book is great because it shows young children that they should never give up. If you say you cant do something than you cant do it, but if you work at it and dont give up on yourself you open yourself up to many possibilities