Once Upon a Witch's Broom by Beatrice Blue - 5/5
Children's Fiction - Health, Mind & Body

The cover to Once Upon a Witch's Broom is what completely stole my attention, then I downloaded the book and was in awe of the illustrations throughout. I love the colors and the attention to details. This is a story about friendship and one's ability to believe in themselves.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the eARC.

I absolutely adore Beatrice Blue's other picture books and have followed her illustration career for quite a while. Her use of colour, form, expression and mood is impressive and her visual language is just plain stunning. 'Once Upon a Witch's Broom' is brimming with optimism, colour and cute little details across every page. We are introduced to two little witches who receive their special "relics" which will help them reach their full potential as witches. Moira struggles to find and believe in herself, but through the power of friendship, kindness and acceptance she is finally able to embrace her true self. A marvelous read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Quatro Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a sweet little story. Lilly is such a sweet supportive friend to Moira. I'm sure many little girls can see themselves in Moira, and she can help them find confidence in themselves through her story.

This book tells the tale of Moira, a little witch who is waiting for her powers to kick in. She really believes that on the day when every witch receives a powerful relic, she can finally find her own magical powers. But the relic turns out to be a broom, and she needs time to figure out how that will bring her magical powers forth. It is a book about low self-esteem, disappointment, and the ultimate power of friendships and believing in ourselves. I loved the art style and the colour palette, I think they fit the story perfectly. The writing style was a little lacking for me, but I prefer very lyrical writing when it comes to my fantasy-esque reads. It was still a wonderful little book, and I would highly recommend it once it comes out in August.

Thanks to Netgalley/the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for this eCopy to review

I love Beatrice Blue's illustrations they are beautiful especially the contrast between Lilly's light and Moira's dark.

This is a wonderful story of how friends and self-belief can help you overcome self-doubt and teaches an important message of not comparing yourself to others and accepting ourselves along with to keep trying and practicing if you do not succeed at first.

As huge fans of Beatrice Blue's Once Upon a Dragon's Fire, we were excited to discover this new story by Beatrice Blue. There is something about her gorgeous, whimsical illustrations and heart-warming storylines that give her stories a modern classic fairytale feel. While Once Upon a Dragon's Fire remains our favorite, the endearing characters Moira and Lilly made this new story a fun read. After comparing herself to the talents of others, Moira must overcome her discouragement to discover her own unique power. We recommend this story for picture book readers who like believe-in-yourself stories featuring adorable characters.

Moira struggles with comparing herself to her friend Lilly who seems to have a perfect life. When Lilly is given a bright and shiny relic and Moira gets a dusty old broom, she begins to doubt her abilities even further. She confides in Lilly and her friend gives her just the pep talk that she needs-- a reminder that the magic is inside YOU. Once Upon a Witch's Broom is a magical, colorfully illustrated tale that teaches the importance of friendship and self-love!

I cannot wait to add this one to my Beatrice Blue Collection. We have every single book she has released in the Once Upon a… series and they just keep getting better and better.

What this one is all about is the magic inside of us and realizing that even if we’re not as shiny, or pretty, or as “good” as some others, we all have magic inside of us. A beautiful magic.

In a world that tries to tamper the beauty of simplistic things for shiny, bigger, better things this book at the heart of it is all about how even the smallest insignificant thing can have meaning and power. And it’s inside every once of us.

Beatrice Blue is a thoughtful, careful, well crafted writer and illustrator and this one just shows how far her series has grown since “Once Upon a Unicorn’s Horn.”

Thank you so much Netgalley and Quarto for the opportunity to read this one before it comes out. It was already preordered, but I might have to preorder a few more copies.

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous and the story has a nice message about challenging perfectionism and accepting ourselves but the writing felt basic.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
The latest in Blue's Once Upon... series.
Moira is discouraged when she compares her abilities to her best friend, Lilly's. Lilly is able to use her magic powers easily while Moira struggles and is afraid to try using hers. She is worried her spells and potions won't come out right. Even on Relic Day, she is disappointed by getting an old broom. It's only when she asks Lilly how she does her magic, that she learns everyone struggles and no one is perfect at it. Love the message to believe in yourself and let go of perfection. The artwork is lovely and well worth studying while reading.

This book is so cute and has a great moral. The illustrations are beautiful and bright, emotive and entrancing. The story feels as though it was written for the illustrations.

This is a beautiful story about the power of believing and dreams. The illustrations were gorgeous and the premise behind the story was so sweet. It teaches children not to give up and that sometimes things aren’t normal. A beautiful story with beautiful illustrations.

I received a digital copy of Once Upon a Witch in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Once upon a broom is a magical and heartwarming tale of self-confidence and friendship. This picture book expertly marries dazzling artwork with a profound, touching narrative, resulting in an experience that is as visually stunning as it is emotionally rewarding.

What immediately catches the eye are the illustrations - a dazzling blend of color and artistry that gives "Once Upon a Broom" its mesmerizing charm. Each page is brimming with detail, bringing the story to life in a unique and alluring manner. There's a distinct magnetism to the illustrations that pulls readers of all ages into the richly imagined world of the book. I immediately searched the author/illustrator to seek out more their work.

The story shines brightly as an advocate of essential social-emotional skills, fostering an understanding of friendship and self-confidence. It was lovely to see the bond between two friends, Lily and Moira, and how they support one another. My five-year-old daughter greatly enjoyed this book, and it is sure to become a regular go-to for our bedtime stories.

Review to come closer to the release day, probably late July.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review~

Almost 3 years ago I read Once Upon a Dragon's Fire and was totally mesmerised. I needed more. And so when I spotted this one up on Netgalley? That gorgeous cover just entrancing me? I clicked request and was granted access to the book! I couldn't wait to read about magic, witches, and more.

In this gorgeous book we meet two witches, Moira and Lilly. Two very different witches. Lilly is able to do everything, everything comes to her with ease... but Moira? Moira is shy, things don't always seem to work for her and we see how she struggles with that and at times also feels very lonely. I could definitely understand her feelings. Haven't we all had people in our lives who seem to have everything perfectly in order, never a problem. I could relate to Moira.

I loved the Relics and how each witch got something that matches with them. That is also why, when Moira wasn't too happy about her broom, I knew there was still something special about it even if she didn't see that so clearly and even when things didn't show themselves as magical. I could understand her struggles though. Everyone else's relics seem so pretty and they seem to work so well for them. And here is Moira. Struggling. Breaking the broom even.

I am glad that, despite all the issues Moira had and how frustrated/lonely she was, she confided in Lilly. Didn't harbour too much jealousy, instead sought her out. Asked her for advice. I loved that and I was cheering for Moira. And eager to find out if she would take that advice to heart and what would be next!

I loved what happens next and it just made me smile and maybe cry a bit because I was so happy. Plus, the message at the ending was just so perfect and so on point. Something that I really need to hear at times. Or in this case, need to read at times.

The art, absolutely stunning once again. Full of magic, colours, and gorgeous designs and details. I will definitely be flipping through this book again to soak up more of the illustrations.

And I will also have to buy this book for my collection. Because it is gorgeous, relatable (even if I am no witch), stunning, and has a wonderful message. I would highly recommend it!

I didn’t know that the Once upon series existed, but let me tell you, after reading this one I’m going to try and read the rest.
Once upon a witch’s broom is a charming story for the little ones about how special and magical it is being oneself, with our imperfections and our rarities. Apart from this, the drawings and pictures are absolutely stunning. I think I’m in love with this author’s style know.

This was the cutest!! I loved it. Such a sweet story about loving yourself. The moral is that your superpower is just being you and I loved that. It also teaches some good coping skills. I will go back to this one!

I have to say this was a gorgeous story. The illustrations were unbelievably detailed and beautiful, and I absolutely fell in love with them.
The story itself was beautiful and powerful, teaching the importance of accepting and loving yourself.
A must-read for kids and their parents!

From the end pages with the beautiful swirling colours and happy little frogs I knew this would be a magical book, and it certainly was! Once Upon a Witches Broom is full of beautiful eye catching illustrations that dance off the page and fill your imagination. It was such a heartfelt story with a strong message about letting go of perfection and being yourself, but written in a way that makes you hopeful, inspired and encouraged. It's a perfect book to help kids understand that it's ok to not be great at everything, and that if they believe in what makes their own heart sing they can achieve so much.

This story is an adorable story about friendship and learning that being yourself is enough.

I fell in love with the drawing style and the beautiful colors.

I highly recommend this for little fans of witches and beautiful and short picture books!

Thank you to Netgalley for this EARC!

This children’s book is a powerful piece on accepting yourself and learning to harness your own magic to find purpose and happiness. It’s beautifully illustrated, whimsical aplenty and entertaining. Highly recommended!