Trixie The Witch's Cat by Nick Butterworth

Trixie The Witch's Cat by Nick Butterworth
Buy Trixie The Witch's Cat by Nick Butterworth at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
Summary: A sweet tale of a witch's cat who doesn't like her one white paw. The message of appreciating one's differences isn't hammered home clunkily, but the point is well made. Recommended for children on the cusp of reading for themselves.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: October 2009
Publisher: Puffin
ISBN: 978-0141326795
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Trixie loves being a witch's cat, but from time to time she's upset by her white paw: witch's cats are supposed to be all black. Trixie finally has a brainwave and uses magic to turn her white paw black, but will she really be happy?

The core story is a familiar one: acceptance, understanding and appreciating one's differences. It's a useful, but not heavy-handed message that will interest and inform young children. The witchcraft setting means that familiar though it is, it's not boring. Trixie is an sweet character, without being unbearable cutesy. Her initial plans for hiding her white paw are very amusing; there are more than a few sniggers throughout.

Nick Butterworth's illustrations are very gentle. They capture the excitement of the spooky setting, but are a million miles away from being scary, which is the perfect tone for the young audience. Cats always look great in picture books, but Trixie has a real range of emotions which children will love awwwing over. You'll wish you could stroke her. If being ultra-picky, I'd have liked a bit more going on in the background, just because witchy scenes are always great fun to pore over.

There's a little more text than in the average picture book, making Trixie The Witch's Cat ideal for children on the cusp of reading themselves. The vocabulary is clear enough for any young children to enjoy, so no-one needs to feel left out. With Halloween just round the corner, it'll make a perfect addition to your bookshelves.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

For more spooky (but not scary) fun, check out Winnie's Amazing Pumpkin by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul and The Witch's Children Go to School by Ursula Jones and Russell Ayto.

Trixie The Witch's Cat by Nick Butterworth is in the Top Ten Picture Books For Halloween.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Trixie The Witch's Cat by Nick Butterworth at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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