Witch Bazooza

by Dennis Nolan

Witch Bazooza is a scatter-brained witch whose big ambition is to win the prize for the scariest jack-o-lantern on the block, but none of her spells work and her garden grows everything but pumpkins

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween

30 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1979

About the author

Dennis Nolan is an illustrator and writer of children's books.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Determined to make her house the scariest one in the neighborhood, and win the first place trophy from the Witches Judging Society, Witch Bazooza unearths her copy of Advanced Spells and Incantations for the Serious Witch, and begins to decorate her home in earnest. From spreading cobwebs (and spiders!) in every room, to conjuring a clanky skeleton for the attic, Bazooza, her faithful feline companion Ajax in tow, has everything in hand, until her final spell, meant to conjure a jack-o-lantern. When this enchantment backfires, again and again, and Bazooza ends up with grinning vegetables of every kind - except pumpkins! - she think her chances of winning the contest are ruined. But are they...?

A sweet little Halloween picture-book from 1979, Witch Bazooza has a vintage, cartoon-like sensibility - the illustrations are done in black and white, with vivid red, green and orange accents - that reminds me of a series of inspirational picture-book biographies we had in the house (also from the 1970s) as a girl. I can't say that this style is a personal favorite, but I did appreciate the humor, and sense of fun, in the artwork. Bazooza is one green witch! The story itself doesn't go anywhere unexpected, but provides a satisfying ending, all the same. Recommended to younger readers and listeners who enjoy witchy tales with some gentle spookiness, and a happy conclusion.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because she tries to get a pumpkin, but it's [spoiler alert] just fruit that grows instead. One of them was a watermelon; it was very very very very very very very very very very fat. And she also had rutabegas (that's a very funny name) and potatoes and zucchini and grapes and it looks like apples. Even carrots!

[Qt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fun, and evokes a delicious Halloween feeling :-)