Twitchy Witchy Itch by Priscilla Tey

Twitchy Witchy Itch

Priscilla Tey, Author and Illustrator

Candlewick Press, Fiction, Jun. 24, 2021

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: Witches, Tea Party, Cleaning, Being yourself, Friendship

Opening: “In just ten minutes, the clock would chime tea o-clock. In just ten minutes, Itch the witch would have two witchy neighbors over for tea.”

Book Jacket Synopsis:

Tick, tock! / Three cups. / Tick tock! / Three saucers.

With nine minutes left, everything is ready. Or is it? As the clock counts down to tea o’clock, Itch the witch’s mind is in a tizzy: Is her house too twitchy? If her home to itchy? Zippity-zoom! Itch grabs a duster and broom. What spell will she say? The guests are already on their way!

Why I like this book:

Priscilla Tey’s charming story carries a sweet message for kids about how important it is to be yourself at all times. Witchy Itch’s neighbors love her home just as it is and have a grand time at tea.  

The language is entertaining and repetitive, includes a few tongue twisters and a lot of fun words: Swish, swash,  zipity-zoom, kaboom, witchity-woosh, ka-boosh, itchy, and twitchy. This will make for a delightful read aloud. It is a perfect seasonal read with Halloween approaching.

Tey’s lively illustrations are quirky colorful, and a tad eccentric. Just look at that cover! The expression on Itch’s face shows the growing panic she feels as spells go wrong and mayhem wins. I also love the mice, bugs, spiders. lizards and cute monkey that live in her home. Make sure you study each page because there may be some other hidden animals.

Resources: With Halloween approaching encourage kids to draw a picture of a witch doing something unusual and fun: having a pajama party, riding a skateboard, racing a car/broom, or sitting by a campfire roasting something. Be creative.

Priscilla Tey is a graduate of the  Rhode Island School of Design. Her first book for children, In-Between Thing, was called “unique and thought-provoking” by School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly praised her “quirky, ingenious, and highly disciplined” aesthetic. A native of Singapore, Priscilla Tey returned home after completing her degree and splits her time between illustrating and teaching.

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 Candlewick in exchange for a review.