It's a story that can be broken up into sections dealing with different issues the main character comes along. The magic aspect is balanced in each story by not always being the solution. In other words, you can't always take the easy way out, which could be a very good lesson for young children.

Very lgbtqia inclusive! The main character seems to be nonbinary. The pronouns are always they/them.

They ask consent before touching others.


There is a story about losing a favorite pet, so this one may need to be skipped for some ages, but it handles the situation very well.

Sweet Magic is the first book in the Witchycakes series by Kara LaReau. Blue is a child whose mother owns a magical bakery called Witchycakes. Blue practices their own magic and makes deliveries to their mother's customers. Along the way they discover that kindness and problem-solving can be just as powerful as magic. This is a super sweet book with beautiful full color illustrations provided by Ariane Moreira. It's a good choice for newly independent readers who are not quite ready for a long chapter book. This is a very gentle story with a bit of whimsical fantasy and no scary parts. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing a galley copy to review.

This was very cute! I really loved the art! That was definitely the stand out for me. I did feel like the writing itself was a little stiff, but I understand that this is for an audience that is just learning or has just learned to read! The story itself is super cute!

This gave me Kiki's Delivery Service Vibes! I loved the illustrations and the little cozy beach themed town. It was a very sweet story and had a good message about how sometimes just being a good friend is a magic all on it's own. I loved the inclusivity as well, with different body types and people of all genders, identities and family dynamics. The little recipe at the back of the book was also a really cute detail to add in to the book! It truly felt like a magical cozy fantasy and I would definitely recommend this to those with young readers in their lives! It's a perfect book to read together.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

This book is not a book I would usually pick up for myself, due to it being for a younger audience, but it was actually extremely sweet and cute. I can't wait to read the second novel in the series and continue with it. If you have a younger reader, this book would be perfect for them. It has a cute little witch, helping people, and making friends all in one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic by Kara LaReau is a cozy fantasy highly illustrated children's book. Blue is a young witch still learning the ropes from their mother. As they work around town making deliveries and perfecting helping magic, Blue helps their community in small but meaningful ways.

There is a lot of casual representation in the book. Blue uses they/them pronouns and lives in a single-parent household and one of the shops in town is run by a gay couple of color with a son. There's also a woman wearing a hijab and a variety of body types and skin tones. Every character is treated as a person with no questioning of why someone would wear a hijab or why there are Queer people or why Blue’s mother is a single mother. It's all very normalized.

Community and helpfulness are major themes. Blue helps Jib find his lost hamster and surprises Mr. Haddock by decorating his shop after his beloved dog dies and he's feeling his grief. She also helps the Sandersons prepare lunch and clean up. Blue sometimes makes mistakes when they use their magic, but Blue always finds a way to make up for it and to assist in another way.

The art is very cozy with lots of soft shapes and colors. Many pages have little details of seashells or bread as Blue and their mother run a magic bakery by the seashore. There are only a few pages that focus more on backgrounds, but they also retain the same soft shapes and colors. There's also what appears to me to be an Easter egg of Kiki and the grandmother from Kiki’s Delivery Service.

I would recommend this to young readers getting into chapter books and educators and guardians looking for books for a younger audience with casual representation

This is a 5-star for me with its magic, beach, baked goods, and kindness. And the artwork is fabulous with just enough details to set the scene without ending up distracting. Each problem Blue encounters ends up fixed in a helpful way; giving the title a double meaning. Not only does the author provide problem-solving strategies, but she also includes a yummy looking recipe as well! Every child's bookshelf should hold a copy of Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic!

Oh my gosh this series is adorable. I loved every minute of it and wish it was around when I was a young reader. I know kids will love it with it's sweet whimsical story and characters. I must read for listener's and readers alike.

This book was adorable. I think it was a great mix of illustrations to words for a chapter book geared towards young readers. I also found the illustrations to be perfectly cute and whimsical for the seaside town. Definitely one I'd recommend to young readers.

Witchycakes is a magical bakery where Little Blue works, a witch-in-training delivering baked goods all around town. They ride their bike all over, helping neighbors along the way. Bonus points if helping includes getting to use a little bit of magic! This is the first in a series of early chapter books about Blue and Witchycakes Bakery, complete with recipes to try at the end of the book!

Thanks to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Witchycakes #1 by Kara LaReau to review! From the cover, I had originally thought that this was a graphic novel, but it turned out to be an early chapter book! I don’t review those often, but this is a fun, inclusive read all about magic and baking. What’s not to like?

The art included throughout is perfectly whimsical for Blue and the bakery they work at. This book has Blue helping a friend find something they thought they lost, and learning how to use a little bit of magic along the way. I can see a lot of early readers jumping onto this one, especially if they are looking for something that includes a lot of fun magic!

A sweet witchy tale that will be great for emerge readers! I look forward to putting it into the hands of kids who are looking for something with sweet yet spooky vibes.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Books for Young Readers through NetGalley.
LaReau sets up delightful characters in this new series. Readers meet Blue Moon and her mother, Mama Moon as they start a typical day. Mama baked all sorts of items that Blue needs to deliver around town. Blue is working on her magic and almost everything goes right until she moves the last baked good to the basket. Her mom reminds her she is still learning and it is often easier to simply do tasks without magic. Throughout the day, as Blue delivers the baked goods, this lesson is repeated as she first uses her spells and then discovers she can help in other ways. The author's point comes through in this whimsical story. The love and relationships show how important the people are to each other in this little town. Lower to mid-elementary level readers will enjoy the tale as well as the illustrations that bring it to life. We even get the recipe for the Beach Crumble at the end.

A quick and sweet introduction to a cozy little town, and a cozy little family; there's nothing particularly new here, but it's cute, fun, and just right for beginning chapter readers.

I loved this one. I'm a total sucker for cozy witch vibes, and Witchycakes delivers in the sweetest way. Blue is such a kind, thoughtful character who uses magic to help others and I adored watching them grow with gentle guidance from their mom, who is just the loveliest presence.

It gave me major Kiki’s Delivery Service energy if Kiki had stayed with her family in a warm, supportive community. The town of Shelville is full of charm, and the neighborly problem-solving in each delivery makes the magic feel grounded and meaningful.

This feels just right for upper elementary readers and cozy enough for younger chapter book fans, but with enough depth to satisfy older ones too. And the recipe at the end? I’m obsessed. Bring on book two!

This is a really sweet book. I loved the artwork and the overall vibe is just wonderful You immediately get a sense of how close Blue's community is and how caring and thoughtful Blue is as they learn more about magic. I really enjoyed the fact that while Blue did use magic to help people the true solution was always through cleverness and caring. The book is also a great age appropriate introduction to what may be new topics for some readers. Blue uses they/them pronouns, their friend has two dads that go by Mr. First name to avoid the confusion of there being two Mr. Last names, and Blue helps one of their neighbors deal with the grief of losing their pet and best friend. These topics are brought up in ways that are very simple and straight forward but may open the door for further discussion with a trusted adult or simply be used to introduce these concepts if they haven't already come up in the readers life. The focus of the story is definitely on being a good friend and neighbor and how we can all support each other in our communities. The witchy vibes and touches of magic bring so much whimsy to the story and artwork and the bakery setting further adds to this as well as setting up the delivery plot line giving Blue the opportunity to help so many people in one day. I also love that the book ends with a simple recipe giving readers a chance to make their own delicious bit of magic in the kitchen.

This is a lovely early chapter book perfect for students who are transitioning from reading picture books to more challenging texts.
Blue, the main character, and their mother run a bakery called Witchycakes. Blue is a great role model for students - always wanting to help their community members as they deliver treats across their seaside village.
The first installment sets up the town and characters well, and I look forward to sharing this and the next book with my students.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a magical bakery in a seaside town, lives a witch-in-training named Blue, who delivers baked goods all over town and helps their neighbors with a touch of magic. This cozy, early chapter book is full of mini-adventures, creative problem-solving, and caring friends. Not to mention the illustrations are so sweet and full of magical details that I want to go on vacation to Shellville. I’ll be recommending this book to fans of Princess in Black and Zoe and Sassafras.

Witchycakes is a cute story of a young witch practicing her magic. She goes around town and tries to use her helping magic. Though she is not always able to use her magic, she gets her community members to help others throughout the story. This is a very cozy story set in a beach community. Many young readers will enjoy this introduction to the Witchycakes series.

This was so cute! I think this will be a big hit with younger readers who are in the shorter chapter book phase. The illustrations are delightful and the baking/magic theme is well-executed.

Witchycakes is such a fun new world, full of friendship and love and animals and adventure! The characters all felt very genuine and real, despite taking place in a low fantasy world, and the illustrations added even more wonder and comfort to the book. All around a fabulous new series to look forward to for younger readers!