A year in the life of Little Witch Hazel and her friends in Mosswood Forest. Each season finds Little Witch Hazel on an adventure with her friends who live in a different part of the forest and learning lessons in neighborliness, sharing, bravery, and trust. I thought the illustrations were a little too dark with muddled lines/colors and may not keep a child’s interest, being read too.

Little Witch Hazel is a delightful read that  celebrates her connections with nature and forest friends. Each of the four breif chapters focuses on a season, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. The illustrations are just darling and connected well with the season. They are reminiscent of quality vintage storybook illustrations. Witch Hazel was a sweet character, adventurous, kind, and curious. I was unsure why the character was called Witch Hazel, as there was nothing in the story about herbal magic or her doing magic. The chapters are brief enough for a beginning chapter book reader, but the rich language makes this one you'd likely read together.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A charming collection of gnome lore, told through storybook text and rich, thoughtful illustrations.

Little Witch Hazel is a curious and kind forest explorer. She is indeed a very little witch, as even an egg is almost her same size. The reader follows Hazel through each season and is able to see her home, the forest, and all of her neighbors in different settings. We meet a lonely tiny troll, an imaginative mouse family, a friendly owl who needs a little help and later returns the favor, and many more lovely friends.

Anyone who is a fan of Elsa Beskow, Sibylle von Olfers , or David the Gnome will adore Wahl's "Little Witch Hazel" and add it to their shelves. The art is simply beautiful, and it is easy to find new little details on each read. The stories are simple in the very best way possible - they tell enough story to let your imagination fill in more details, but are still complete. I love how the spring story comes full circle in the winter story. I absolutely cannot wait to put this book in my forest school basket.
Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. I have already told several friends about this book and we are anxiously awaiting August 2021!

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

4/5 - Really liked it.

This is a sweet set of four stories about the Little Witch Hazel, who lives deep in the woods. The illustrations are beautiful - reading this book made me feel cozy and warm. I especially loved Otis, Hazel's loyal owl friend. I also appreciated little spurts of humor - for example, when Hazel tells Otis not to eat their neighbor. There is a wholesomeness throughout this book and it's lovely.

The reason my rating isn't higher is because Little Witch Hazel doesn't really seem like a witch. There's no mention of her magic, which I was expecting to be a central part of the story. I wanted more enchantment, which I really think the story could have delivered - the writing and illustrations were brilliant! Plus, the community is so lovely - I wish I could have known more about them. This setting could lend itself to a longer book about Hazel's adventures in the forest.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. It would make a great gift for families with young children.

5 stars for the illustrations alone, as they were perfect.

Story-wise I was left wanting to know more about Hazel and her little community. We aren’t given much establishment in the world, so I was left needing more information about the how/why of most things. The four vignettes didn’t feel like they had a common thread tying them together, besides just some general lessons being taught. I would really like to see a larger collection of stories in Hazel’s world that establishes her relationships, feelings, and witchcraft.

Overall though, this was an enjoyable children’s book with charming illustrations.

A sweet and gorgeous story about a tiny little witch who lives in the forest. The story is told through the seasons and follows her life as well as the fun characters who live near her. The artwork is just whimsical and it really was a fun read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I think this is a collection of four beautiful stories that show how kind you have to be not only to yourself but to those around you. There are great lessons in here like learning its okay to take some time to relax, and even brought up that loneliness and having someone to talk to can help a lot.

The author/illustrator said she wanted this to be a classic and I think it will be. The illustrations are so beautiful and I think kids will love seeing the pictures and hearing the stories.