This was such a useful and delightful book about the Wheel of the Year from the journal of a young hedge witch. Just the right combination of informative, whimsical, imaginative, and varied. The examples of spells and tales for each month paired nicely with more practical things children can do in nature throughout the seasons. A great addition to the literature world for pagan or nature-minded kids!

Hettie Nettle's Handbook for Hedgewitches is one of the coolest books I have had the pleasure to read. It is chock-full of information and the formatting is wonderful. It goes through each month, and Hettie, and 8 year old precocious hedgewitch that lives alone in her caravan in the woods, provides important hedgewitch information, celebrity (of the woods) interviews, riddles, and more. The illustrations are wonderful and endearing. Hettie is precious. Be wise, harm none, do good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I was disappointed that there is not more of an overall story to this book. It seems more like a companion book to a series and of course the clue is in the title after all - a handbook. I would have liked to have heard more about Hettie and her friends and her famous gran Agatha Walnut and I would have liked a tour of Hettie's caravan.

I liked the folklore aspects of the book and it was fun to read about the other names for the months of the year although April has the very silly name of Tinkle, which is of course an old fashioned very twee euphemism for peeing. I quite liked the spells although they would not be that practical for many readers - where would you get an empty snail shell for example. I suppose you would have better luck getting stardust given that it appears to be chalk or limestone or some such thing.

I liked some of the little stories and I must say the illustrations are very good indeed and the book does resemble a handwritten notebook.

It was all a bit generic though, possibly to appeal to both the UK and US markets at the same time?. I would have liked to see lists of, for example, birds or butterflies that the reader could look out for in the relevant months or seasons, there is some of that but not enough.

By and large a nice idea but could be much improved.

This book was a treasure trove of good witchy fun. Little me would have been obsessed. If you have any young witches or wizards in your life, I highly recommend this. The writing is very accessible and fun, and the fact that it has a lot of different types of text like fun potions, interviews, little stories, information about festive days, etc, really keeps your interest. The illustrations were also lovely and a great addition.

Thanks NetGalley and Moon+Bird for a digital copy of Hettie Nettle's Handbook for Hedgewitches in exchange of an honest review.

This was very cute and cozy. There's not a story per se, but there are some short stories here and there and I really enjoyed the small little worldbuilding. The drawings were absolutely beautiful and accompanied amazingly the stories. It's a nice book to enjoy with kids and to assist to their imagination. The interview segments weren't my favourite, though, but everything else reminds me of some small cozy fantasy books I used to read when I was about nine and I feel like it's a good way to practice English with young teenagers.

What a delightful story! Kids will love this magical book filled with fun and whimsy. The illustrations are lovely and the concept is so interesting! I loved getting to read Hettie’s story.

This is a beautiful, special, magical book and every page is an absolute delight. Hettie's teaching will help young readers engage with nature in a unique way, encouraging them to discover the magic in the natural world and there is so much to learn and to do. Hettie's voice is thoroughly engaging and the rich cast of characters is very skilfully created. Larkin deserves a book of his own! The stories within the book combine elements of myth, fable and bedtime story to create something unique and delightful. The illustrations are simply beautiful with a lovely, dream-like quality that provides a stark contrast to the more cartoony illustrations that populate most children's books, but they suit this book perfectly. As a bookseller, I have rarely seen a book quite like this one and as an author and illustrator, Claire Barker has once again proved herself to be one of the most accomplished creators working in children's fiction today.

If I had one very slight niggle, it is that because the book has such a British flavour, the American spellings of words like 'color' feel a little out of place. It does nothing to detract from this stunning book, though.

A beautiful book that charmed me the whole way through! As a millennial it gave me serious Amelia’s Notebook vibes which took me right back to my childhood. Hope to get a physical copy when it comes out!

An adorable and whimsical book full of magic and wonder! Hattie Nettle is here to tell the scoop on the world of magic that's just a step away from our own! This book is so cute and fun, I love all the little activities for kids to do, and I know if I were a kid today, I would totally be roping my mom into every single activity.

This is gonna be such a good read for any kid into fantasy, and it's definitely up there with the Dragonology books or the Fairyopolis.

Such a cute book about the witchy year and specifically hedgewitchery. I think this would be the perfect introductions to young people wanting to know more about how to incorporate witchcraft in their everyday life, and learn about the different seasonal festivals in an age appropriate way.

What a little gem!
Set in the Wild Wood, Hettie Nettle walks us through her life as a hedgewitch. Unlike many books about young witches, this has a handbook format that prepares the other witches (young readers) in being a good witch at Wild Wood with recipes, stories, glimpses of the Woodfolk, spells, interviews with the WW celebrities and many more. Hettie Nettle is a dote, and this book is very engaging and entertaining.

This was so cute. The illustrations and story were so whimsical, my children loved it. Each section has useful knowledge like what magical things happen during that month, alongside just fun little bits like special “interviews”

Every once in a while, I get an ARC that blows my mind away and this is one of them. It is very difficult to describe it or summarise it as it contains spells, information and stories -- all beautifully illustrated in a dreamy way. I cannot put it in one specific category. It sure is a mesmerising read. I am definitely buying this when it is out.

so charming! I really enjoyed this and think it will be a great read for children! I loved the fantasy world and all of the tips and tricks. Very unique

Hettie nettles handbook for hedgewitches by Claire barker is an excellent watercolor book for young children who love magic, animals, plants, and the woods. The stories inside are lovely, the art is perfect.

This was the most darling thing ever! I wish I had this when I was younger! The drawings were adorable and it had so many cute elements to it! I will definitely be buying it for my friend's daughter when it comes out! Then you netgalley for the arc

This was a delightfully cute book! I loved the illustrations, the additional tale for every month, and the writing style. I think this is perfect for the little child (or honestly middle-schooler) in your life you may be interested in magic and fairies.

Super cute book! I enjoyed reading it and I know my daughter will also enjoy it as well! I will absolutely be buying a physical copy once the book is released!

This charming book will delight witches young and old. The book is written from the point of view of an eight year old hedgewitch. They take us through the year dispensing thoughtful to-do lists, hints for dealing with fairies, delightful interviews with important magic dwellers, and helpful magical recipes! The illustrations are an added bonus…sweet watercolors!

This would be a wonderful gift for a witch in your life, or anyone who likes a little bit a outdoor whimsy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Moon + Bird for the digital ARC.

I really enjoy the concept for this, however I do think the formatting is a bit clunky. The images don't quite mesh with the rest of the page or seem always feasible for her to have drawn or written. I think it'd be cool to see pencil or crayon sketches- a medium that is believable to be in a notebook and have them look like they're done right on the page. I really think the content was fun, but the look of it didn't quite hit the mark.