Amanda and the Witch Switch

Amanda the Witch #1

by John Himmelman

A friendly witch named Amanda gives a toad three wishes, but her good intentions backfire when he uses one of the wishes to become a witch.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 1985

About the author

John Himmelman is the author and illustrator of more than sixty books for children, including Chickens to the Rescue. He lives in Connecticut with his family.

According John's Facebook page, he has been "making up stories and scribbling pictures since I could hold a crayon in my hand. It became my job in 1981, when my first book, "Talester the Lizard" was published during my last year in college (School of Visual Arts)....It behooves a writer to try and turn what interests them into their work. I've been fortunate to do that with my love of nature, with books - for adults and children - focusing on different natural history topics."

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amanda, a "friendly old witch" who lived up in the hills, and deep in the forest, decided one beautiful day that she wanted to do something particularly nice. Making the flowers grow, teaching the beavers how to dance and the trees how to sing, was all very well, but when she spied a toad sitting on a rock, she knew she'd found the perfect outlet for her well-intentioned munificence. Unfortunately, the three wishes she granted her batrachian beneficiary allowed him to transform himself into a witch - complete with magical powers that he promptly misused - and Amanda into a toad! Would everything be set right, or would the new toad-witch wreak havoc in the forest...?

Although it had a promising enough premise, with its tale of a witch and a toad who switch places, somehow Amanda and the Witch Switch just didn't appeal to me as much as I'd expected, when I found it in my library database, and put in a request for it. The text itself is rather lackluster - there's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing especially memorable about it, either - and the illustrations, although bright and colorful, weren't really to my taste. These things vary, of course, so young readers who enjoy witchy tales, and more cartoon-like artwork, might feel differently. I have a soft spot for witchy tales (and a completist bent), so I might still pick up the sequel to this, Amanda and the Magic Garden , but then again, I might not. Recommended primarily to those who just can't get enough witches in their reading diet. But for those who only have time for one or two stories, I recommend something like Winnie the Witch or The Curious Little Witch instead.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining tale about what being careful what you wish for. The narrative is entertaining and the illustrations are colorful and cartoonish.

[Mary Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda is a nice witch. One day she decides to go outdoors and decides to put her magic to good use. As you read the book, she comes across some trouble, but everything is resolved in the end. I believe this book would be great and fun to have in a classroom, the story is cute and has beautiful illustrations. As children read, they will be able to learn that witches are not evil, and Amanda will prove them differently as the story progresses.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny little book. In French, it is called "Amelie la sorciere."