The Wompananny Witches Make One Mean Pizza

by Jennie Palmer

Anita and Winnifred Wompananny are kitchen witches who spend their days whipping up all kinds of delicious treats. Rarely do the Wompananny Witches venture outside, for they have a crippling fear of the wild children in their neighborhood. One day, a run-in with a few particularly rambunctious kids sends the witches into a panic, so they blow off some steam by cooking up their very favorite a good old-fashioned pizza pie. But they’ve unintentionally baked their anxious, fearful, freaked-out feelings right into the crust and created one mean pizza! The pie escapes the kitchen, wreaking havoc across town, until one group of hungry children devises a plan to show the pizza what they’re made of. A deliciously saucy tale of friendship and courage, The Wompananny Witches Make One Mean Pizza is a wacky Halloween story that packs laughs all year long.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Halloween, Storytime, Childrens, Humor, Magic

34 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2017

About the author

Jennie has worked in production design for much of her professional life, most notably as a senior designer and sculptor for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She is a graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in California with her husband and three kids.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anita and Winnifred Whompananny were witches. Kitchen witches, that is, and they made the best pizza around. Unfortunately, the sisters were deathly afraid of the neighborhood children, who struck them as very wild indeed. Frightened by a visit from some of these youngsters, the witches baked all of their negative feelings into a pizza pie so mean, that it began to wreak havoc in the area. As both witches and children chased down that pizza, a surprising discovery was made: witches and children go together like pizza and pepperoni...

It's hard to believe that The Wompananny Witches Make One Mean Pizza is author/illustrator Jennie Palmer's debut picture-book, but so it is. Of course, Palmer does have experience as a designer and sculptor for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and that experience shows here, in the theatrical fun of her first story for children. This was an immensely entertaining romp of a picture-book, with a well-written and amusing story, and engagingly quirky illustrations that suit the oddball tone of the whole production. This is one I would recommend to all young pizza lovers, and to anyone who enjoys witchy tales. For myself, I will be looking forward to Palmer's second contribution to the picture-book form, Milo's Christmas Parade , which is due out later this year.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable and funny tale of some witches who are scared of kids and stress-bake a pizza, which then gets LOOSE and goes on a rampage around the neighbourhood! Who can save us from a pizza gone bad?

*camera pans to children gnawing on a pizza stuck in a tree*

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young pizza lovers, and those who enjoy witches, too, will love this tale of two witches who are afraid of children, but love to bake and cook! The illustrations were a lot a fun; lots of details and colorful. The book even has a pizza recipe on its inside back cover.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why not combine two awesome book subjects, pizza and witches? I love it!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Read with PreK

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witches, children and a runaway pizza…what a wonderful combination for a fun filled adventure! Anita and Winifred Wompananny are two kitchen witches who rarely venture outside.  One day when a group of kids come knocking on their door, the Wompananny witches hide until they are gone. Filled with anxiety after the incident, Anita and Winifred pound out their feeling by making one mean pizza. And so the chaos begins . . .

The Wompananny Witches Make One Mean Pizza is a fast-paced, exciting story telling how two frightened witches stand up to their fears and join forces with the wild children of the town. 

Thank you Jennie Palmer for this charming and beautifully illustrated read! I’m looking forward to reading it to my little granddaughter! 

I’m happy to give you five pizzas…whoops, I mean stars!!

P.S. The pizza recipe looks yummy!! 

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wompananny Witches are connoisseurs of the deliciously delightful art of pizza-making. What they’re not so great at? Interacting with people–specifically children for that matter–they go together about as well as “pizza and peanut butter!” Scared out of their wits by children knocking at their door, the witches must bake to get their willies out. But instead of a lovely lunch, the pizza comes alive into one mean pizza! Rolling and tromping through town, the pizza causes chaos until one hungry child takes a taste of its cheese. As the children gang up to chomp down the gooey, hot pizza, the witches learn that sometimes the best combination of all is the one we least expect. With wonderful alliteration and a heart-warming story line that will have your tummy rumbling, Palmer cooks up a fabulous feast of a tale!

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was silly and absurd, and there wasn't really much to it but I enjoyed it, as did my three year old, once she realized the witches in it weren't scary. Funny story about two witches who are afraid of the local kids and accidently make a mean pizza who goes on a rampage - but then the kids save the day. Not sure what to say, I feel like basically if you're interested in reading a book with that description, this book nails it. The only qualm I had was that the illustrations often made it look like there were a lot of pizzas running around rather than just one, but honestly who cares about that?

[Denise Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Rolling Meatballs!!!
These witches make delicious, magical pizza and learn that children aren't so bad after all.

This book is hilarious and adorable, particularly the illustrations.
Plus there is a fun recipe at the end for making your own.

Definitely recommend for that pizza loving kid in your life.

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great one for children who are perhaps frightful of the themes surrounding Halloween, it shows the witches in a position where children are tormenting them for their pizza, and by the end the witches befriend the children and make pizzas for everyone. A very sweet Halloween book that i recommend to all parents of young children.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp with a couple of witches with culinary talents. These witches can make a delicious pizza but are terrified of children. When one of their pizzas runs amok through the city streets it helps bring the witches and children together. Fun story with a recipe for pizza included.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and cute picture book with just a touch of Gingerbread Man storyline. Witch sisters make great pizza but are afraid of children. When a mean pizza escapes and ravages town, witches and children unite to catch it. Pizza recipe in the back.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really funny book with witches who love to make pizzas. Unfortunately one day they are frightened by some children and end up accidentally making a really mean pizza. It rolls right out of their house and starts to cause mayhem in the town. So funny!

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introverted witches make a pizza that turns out to be really mean. It takes over the neighborhood, but ends up bringing people together.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a title like that and such cute illustrations, I just had the to read this book. It was cute... and now I want pizza :-p

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

great lesson on judging

[pati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a bit of confusion, but once that is all cleared up, the witches' house is the place to be! YUM

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witches and children are not supposed to mix, but these baking witches and hungry children find common ground. Not great, but an serviceable Halloween read-aloud.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who wouldn't love pizza? And this book is just the same. The Wompananny Witches are nervous and afraid, and end up cooking all those feelings into a pizza, which then attacks the town.

Fantastic.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awwww. So fun and cute.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially like that they are kitchen witches! :)

[Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

pizza IS for everyone!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

after getting spooked by children, two witch sisters accidentally bake their feelings into a mean Pizza which comes to life and wreaks havoc on the town. But the hungry children come to save the day.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witches who make pizza? Sign me up!

First off, I would have ADORED this book as a child. I had thing for pizza... I even wanted to be a pizza lady when I grew up! Anyway, the book was so fun and cute with a nice little message at the end. (Sometimes two things we thought didn't go together can actually be the perfect pair!) I was craving pizza so badly after looking at all that delicious dripping cheese in the pictures that I actually went home and... made a pizza!

Such a fun book. I recommend it to any child who loves pizza! (Which is every child, right?)

[Chapters Lethbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALYSSA’S REVIEW:

This book is not only adorable, it is also handy for young children that may be fearful of Halloween (or the main figures of Halloween like witches). The story humanizes the witches by placing them in a position where the children are the tormentors, because they want the witches' pizza! By the end of the story though, they all become friends and get to share the pizzas that the witches make!

[Sushie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iggi's Storytime Criteria
Age group: Elementary+
Content: pizza, magic, prejudice, children
Plot: The Witches don't like kids, and they make a pizza that agrees. It wrecks the town until a group of local kids take care of the problem.
Wordiness: Mid
Length: Medium
Illustrations: quite early 00's newspaper comic imo
Other: A good time with a good message about giving others a chance

[Nathalie Jones]

Good for Baby & toddler cooking themed storytime