THE LITTLE COVEN

Three witches who are very different nevertheless come together and celebrate their friendship.

Light-skinned, blond, adventurous Eve rides a broomstick and can summon sunshine; tan-skinned, dark-haired Florence can heal with potions, balms, and charms; and brown-skinned Sabine charts the stars and can tell fortunes. Together, the three gather in a forest clearing under the full moon, each contributing to a large cauldron that unexpectedly goes “BOOM,” the turn of the page showing the three suddenly much older but still gathering and sharing friendship. In between their initial gathering and the explosion, the girls are shown doing more ordinary things: comforting a sad Sabine, cheering Florence after she wins a race, jumping rope, gathering berries, sharing a picnic. It’s as if the book can’t decide if it’s a Halloween tale with sprinkles of Wiccan ways and witchy stereotypes or a story of three girls’ friendship. The ending—“A truly magic friendship… // …never really needs a spell”—does not clear up the confusion. The spot-on rhyming text has a nice bouncy rhythm. Bright colors pop and seem to glow against darker backgrounds, and witchy items are sprinkled throughout: beakers, pointy hats, a black cat with odd, star-shaped pupils, wands, a crystal ball. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A confusing muddle of a witchy friendship tale.