The Itty-Bitty Witch

by Trisha Speed Shaskan, Xindi Yan (Illustrator)

Overview

Betty can’t wait to be a first-grade witch. But on the first day of school, her classmates start calling her “Itty Bitty” because she’s small and still uses her kinder-broom. Betty doesn’t like the nickname—or how it makes her feel itty-bitty inside. So she comes up with a BIG idea to prove herself: winning the Halloween Dash.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781542041232
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	07/16/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2019

When Betty Ann Batsworth shows up for her first day of first grade witch school still using her “kinder-broom,” her classmates begin calling her “Itty Bitty,” which, as Shaskan notes, makes her feel small inside each time she hears it. Determined to show her spirit by winning the big broom-riding race, Betty works hard (“Practice makes magic,” Shaskan writes) and inadvertently discovers that embracing her stature—and the broom that suits her—can offer a winning advantage. Yan, whose compositions and characterizations are reminiscent of classic animation, choreographs the young witches’ aerodynamic antics and amps up the visual drama with a Halloween palette. Alert readers may notice that Betty actually has a shy, bespectacled fan among the meanie witches, but the creators forgo developing any alliance in favor of a familiar portrayal of determined, lone underdog who discovers her sense of worth. Ages 3–7. (July)

Publishers Weekly

09/09/2019

PreS-Gr 2-Betty is excited for her first day as a first-grade witch, until Abby and Sam started teasing her for still using a kinder-broom. When Sam and the other kids (except Taylor) began to call her Itty Bitty, it makes her feel small inside. But when Ms. Fit announces the Halloween Dash broom race, Betty knows that winning will banish that nickname for good. After a month of practice during which Betty tries all sorts of things (running start, nose dives, arm flapping) to help her kinder-broom keep up and puts up with more teasing, it is time for the race. After falling behind, Betty has the Big Idea to use her small size to go through a cave that her bigger classmates cannot manage ("Wicked! Taylor cheered"). Her cleverness puts her in the lead and she wins to the shock, then delight, of her classmates, who chant "Itty Betty! Itty Betty!" This is a nickname Betty likes that makes her feel big inside. Shaskan's serviceable text is paired with Yan's crisp, digital illustrations featuring large-eyed children, good action scenes, and plenty of Halloween ephemera—bats, jack-o'-lanterns, pointy witch hats. VERDICT A Halloween-themed mixed-bag about being different and using that difference to win the big race. Purchase as needed.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

School Library Journal

2019-07-14
Big dreams come in itty-bitty packages.

Betty is excited for her "first day as a first-grade witch." Black-haired with a light brown complexion and small in stature, Betty is teased by classmates Abby and Sam (both white) for still using a "kinder-broom," and they nickname her "Itty Bitty." "My name is Betty," she protests. When the class learns about the annual broom-riding race, or Halloween Dash, for the whole first grade, Betty decides she must win, thinking the name-calling will cease if she does. "SWOOSH! WHOOSH! / UH-OH!" Despite testing such flying strategies as a running start and nose-dives during practice, Betty fails, feeling "itty-bitty inside." Undeterred, Betty maps out her race course and strategizes for the big day. Shaskan utilizes onomatopoeia and smartly placed rhymes to narrate Betty's emotional journey as she battles her own self-doubts. Yan brings as much action and pop to the tale with her warm-toned digital renderings of Betty's diverse classmates and teacher. All characters are portrayed with round heads and cartoonish, large eyes, and streaks of glittering bright colors trail behind their brooms. It is when Betty finally realizes that her perceived shortcomings are actually an advantage that she wins the acceptance of her peers—and, more importantly, herself. Caregivers and teachers will be pleased with the multiple extensions the story offers, all wrapped up in a Halloween theme.

Proving size does not matter, this itty-bitty witch casts a bewitching spell. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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