HOCUS AND POCUS AND THE SPELL FOR HOME

Two pups seek their forever home.

Jinx, a friendly witch, finds an abandoned litter of precious—and “slightly magical”—puppies and takes them to the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets, where they’ll find homes with witches, wizards, and warlocks. The middle pups—Double, Toil, and Trouble—are quickly adopted. But the oldest, Hocus (who can see two minutes into the future), and Pocus, the youngest, who can make bad feelings disappear, refuse to be separated and so have a harder time finding homes. When Jinx decides to help them by making a potion that will guarantee that they’ll be adopted, the pups plot to modify it to ensure they’ll both go to the same owner. They sneak into Jinx’s bag and secretly go home with her. Hocus usually leads the way, but now shy Pocus must keep Hocus, who’s more interested in meeting new friends, on track. Things go awry—will their plan work? This lively chapter book is engaging, with unexpected and entertaining developments. A few words such as unacceptable, dueled, and cauldrons add a bit of a challenge. The colorful, cartoonish illustrations add verve and unquestionable cuteness. Brown-skinned Jinx wears glasses and has rippling raspberry-colored hair; she states her pronouns before introducing herself to the pups, as do other characters.

These magical, mischievous pooches prove irresistible.