Snitchy Witch
Frank J. Sileo, Author
MacKenzie Haley, Illustrator
Magination Press, Fiction, Sep. 10, 2019
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes: Tattling vs. Telling, Witches, School, Friendship, Halloween
Opening: It was a full moon at Camp Spellbound. Every year, witches from all over fly in on their brooms. It’s a hair-raising, fun time.
Book Synopsis:
Wanda Witch is a snitch. And Winnie and William and all the other witches at Camp Spellbound can only take so much! Will the snitchy witch find out on her own that she needs to stop snitching? Or will her friends need to use their magical powers to get Wanda to quit?
Why I like this book:
I love how Frank J. Sileo tackles the topic of tattling in a Halloween-themed story. There is a lot of fun word play and a great colorful cast of charachters.
Snitchy Witch is a story kids will understand whether they are the tattler or the teller. This is a perfect book to tackle social skills with children at home or in the classroom. Tattling can be hurtful to others and it can be isolating for the tattler. No one wants to be around a snitch. It makes other kids angry. Telling is when something is not safe or in trouble.
Wanda is a spunky little witch who just won’t mind her own business. I enjoyed how the other little witches confront her on their own terms and share their feelings of anger and hurt. When Wanda continues to snitch, they cast a spell on her to teach her a lesson.
“Oh moon so full, round, and bright. For witches who tattle, witches who snitch, tie their tongues, zip their lips! No witch shall squeal or tell on friends. This spell will be broken when the snitching ends!”
MacKenzie Haley’s beautiful illustrations are lively, entertaining and colorful. Just look at that cover! She perfectly captures the snitching theme in a humorous tale of learning when it’s important to say something to a teacher/parent or try to work things out on your own.
Resources: There is a Note to Grown-Up Witches at the end of the book about snitchy little witches. The guide will help little witches talk about the difference between “snitching” and “telling.” This is a great classroom exercise.
Frank J. Sileo, PhD, is a psychologist and the founder and executive director of The Center for Psychological Enhancement in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He is the author of nine other award-winning children’s books, including Sally Sore Loser: A Story About Winning and Losing, Don’t Put Yourself Down in Circus Town: A Story About Self-Confidence, A World of Pausabilities: An Exercise in Mindfulness, Did You Hear?: A Story About Gossip, Bee Still: An Invitation to Meditation, and Bee Calm: The Buzz on Yoga. Visit Sileo at his website.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Review copy provided by the publisher.
What a timely & useful choice! Thanks for sharing.
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Yes, it is a timely book. It’s has a different twist and I like it a lot!
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This was always such a difficult topic to discuss at my son’s school. There’s such a stigma to “being a tattle-tale” that it’s difficult for kids to “tell” when it was really called for. This sounds like a much-needed guide for helping kids make that decision.
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It is a tough topic. We all have know kids who tend to tattle and how friends turn on them and make it worse. This is a great classroom book! Love the guide at the end.
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great mash up of halloween and tattling!
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Yes, it is. And I like how the kids solve the problem themselves. Good for home and school.
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Great choice for this time of the year. An added bonus is the content allows for discussion of a tricky topic for kids.
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It is a tricky topic. I like the focus on snitching and telling. Great illustrations!
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What a great setting for dealing with snitching. I love the mash-up with Halloween. Great review. I look forward to reading this one.
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It is an important topic. Clever idea to make it a Halloween-themed story. Wonderful illustrations!
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What a great focus, to tease out the nuance between snitching and telling.
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Love your way with words. Like stories where kids solve the problem. The illustrations really make this book stand out.
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Such a clever take on a difficult topic to explain to kids! And I like how it differentiates tattling from telling, which is an important distinction, especially for young kids. 🙂
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Thank you for visiting. It is a difficult topic, but one that is important to work through with kids. The Halloween theme is brilliant!
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You were right, Patricia. This book does appeal to me. It sounds fun but packs an important message that we all need to learn at some point. Thanks for sharing.
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It deals with a tough subject in a fun way kids will understand!
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That’s always good. 🙂
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