The little witch's black magic cookbook

An adorable little witch prepares each of the seventeen odd recipes in this children's cookbook from 1972, as well as a few crafts. The book begins with a brief introductory note from the author, maintaining that it is for boys as well as girls, and then moves on to "The Little Witch's Code," which

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sets out six rules, from reading the recipe first to cleaning up when one is finished. Sections devoted to Snacks, Brews & Potions, Lunches, and Holidays and Special Occasions follow. The latter section includes birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day, Halloween and Christmas. The book closes with a section on making a witch's hat, and with an index...

The first of sixteen titles in author/illustrator Linda Glovach's The Little Witch series, each of which is devoted to some kind of activity, game or holiday observance, The Little Witch's Black Magic Cookbook (also published in one paperback edition as The Little Witch's Magic Cookbook) is simply delightful! As a devotee of witchy picture-books, I have long been aware of this series, but haven't prioritized reading it, given that I knew these books were not storybooks, and I wasn't sure how significant their witchy content was. Happily, I can now report that while this may be a cookbook (one with a few craft ideas thrown in), the accompanying artwork is such a significant part of the book that it still has immense witchy appeal. The eponymous little witch is depicted multiple times on each page with recipes, going through the various steps outlined in the instructions. In addition to this, there are multiple pages with larger scenes, showing the little witch and her friends enjoying the various treats made, and celebrating the various holidays mentioned. There might not be a story as such here, but with all of this illustrative content, there is plenty of material for the imaginative child to create multiple stories of their own.

The illustrations themselves are also quite appealing, done in a very 1970s style—mostly black and white, with a few color washes. I enjoyed many of the larger scenes, from the one depicting the little witch picnicking with her friends, to the one showing all of the children at the Halloween party, and I appreciated that one of the little witch's friends was a young African-American girl. Most of the recipes themselves didn't really fill me with enthusiasm, but I did recognize at least one—cinnamon toast, yum!—and I liked that they were mostly very simple. Recommended to young people (and their caretakers) looking for fun snack ideas, and for a witchy cookbook/activity book.

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