THE WITCHES AND THE SINGING MICE

A long, agreeably spooky tale in which two loyal tomcats rout a trio of witches who've invaded a desolate site overlooking a peaceful Highland village. Each witch in turn places an impossible order with a local tradesman (``A big iron bed...And I want it tonight''); when a man refuses, his child is found, next morning, mouse-bitten and in a lifeless trance—the good cats, bewitched by the singing of the mice, have been unable to stand guard. When a third child is threatened, the cats bravely trail the witches (who turn into cats) and kill them. Then—following the advice of a wise woman—they restore the children. In Barrett's precise, eerie paintings, the witches look especially wicked as sinuously elongated cats—an elegant foil for the angelic children and charmingly ordinary feline heroes. Try pairing this intriguing tale with Barber's The Mousehole Cat (1990). (Folklore/Picture book. 6-10)