THIS YEAR, A WITCH!

A precocious child conjures up a startling alternative to the cutesy costumes of Halloweens past.

“Last year I was a bunny. The year before that I was a mouse.” Indignant after a string of “utterly adorable” Halloween costumes, a rosy-cheeked, black-haired girl with skin the white of the page declares, “My days of adorable are over and done! Because…this year, a witch!” Readers are privy to the process as the impish and expressive witch fully embraces her role. She’s “enlisted the help of an assistant” (her cat) and has been busy “whipping up spells and collecting things for my brew.” Witches are powerful—look out, or she’ll turn you to stone!—and exceedingly independent. As she says, “Witches don’t need their lovies. Or daddies. Or naps,” though a patient grown-up proves helpful with mundane tasks like costume-sewing. Multimedia and Risograph illustrations make magical use of both generous white space and full-bleed spreads and feature vibrant pops of modern Halloween hues, including violet and acidic green. Playfully paced page turns reveal a visual transformation more frightening than even the young witch bargains for, but concise text with emphatic typography keeps the theatrical tone kind-spirited; Abbott perfectly captures youngsters’ often-warring desires for autonomy and reassurance.

A sly seasonal pick for kids craving a dash of agency alongside their dress-up.