A little weird but still hopeful, this book takes place in a world where the environment is pretty messed up.

A quiet story about a girl living in a dirty, smog-filled world. She has a baby sibling who is too sick to go through a naming ceremony. The girl fills her days wandering the woods and watching the changes. One day, she meets an older woman, who befriends and teaches her.

The story's conservation message is quietly delivered, and shows that there is hope when nature has time to gradually bring much needed changes and growth to a damaged world.

The prose has a soothing tone, even while we watch a girl walk wearing a gas mask during play, a disturbing image, or learn that her baby sibling is not healing from an illness. The words of the elder show that hope coupled with work can remediate things, and the story ends with the naming ceremony, conveying the idea that things are looking brighter.

The muted colour illustrations have a pleasant blockiness, and allow not-yet readers to get the gist of the story. I adored the imagined future the girl sees when dreaming: it literally pops with colour, and reinforces the hopefulness of the narrative.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rosetta Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Intriguing and interesting, however much it does things you've seen before, this is well worth a look. It's quite a wordy kind of picture book, with up to three paragraphs on an otherwise blank page, opposite one of colour art, which is often broken down into multiple scenes, comic-book style. In it the girl of the story ventures into the woods from the poisoned city where her family lives, and despite the fact she's supposed to be scared of an old crone in the forest, she not only encounters her, but she follows her home, and accepts soup – and more – from her hand.

What she's really accepting is a chance of a better future, one where a "conservationist" like the older female can show us what we've lost and what we can have again. For this is an environmental message – the smog in the city ruining the girl's baby sister's lungs before she's even named, everything dying, people supposed to wear gas masks for the pollution. The final beat therefore is obvious ahead of its time, but as I say this has merits that aren't concerned with novelty or surprise. It's a quiet, unassuming lesson, giving the girl some positivity, even if it might not for us – without a particular old woman in our lives to do so for us. Will this book replace the 'crone' and make us shake off our doubts and doldrums and start to build the world we need? Probably not, but there really is no harm in letting it have a try. A strong four stars, with the caveat that this is certainly not for all reading abilities.

The Witch of the Woods is a gentle exploration of the cycle of life, and how we all can impact it on an individual basis. It touches on themes of anxiety, grief, and change in a demystifying way that empowers children to process big feelings without fear. Zetta Elliott beautifully balances whimsy and reality in a way that encourages imagination, while still showing that strong problem-solving skills are firmly rooted in the material world. My favorite thing about this book are the beautiful illustrations by Purple Wong. The themes and details of the story are apparent in the illustrations so that even pre-readers can see the story unfold, and there are many little details that help express the personalities of the characters. For instance, the child at the center of the story has mismatched boots that carry her down winding paths and over rotting logs. I believe this book will appeal to a broad audience, but most especially to children who are compassionate and curious about the natural world.
Thank you, Rosetta Press, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was almost more a dark fable, but the story is important and the pictures are gorgeous. A little girl wants to find help for her baby sibling, who is sick, while living in a world overcome by pollution. They go into a forest where an old lady she thought was a witch shows her the possibilities if people work together to fix things, and gives her medicine for the baby.
If it wasn't so hopeful, it might be too dark for young readers, but this is a beautiful book adults can use to have important discussions with kids. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

2.5 stars rounded up.

The Witch of the Woods is a story of hope for the world the young girl is living in. It is a great message which I feel is slightly distracted from however by messages we don't want to be passing on to children.

The artwork in this story is gorgeous. The pictures are detailed and portray the sentiment of the story really well. The message at the end shows us that, with a little hope and hard work, things can start getting better. This is an important message to be teaching our young people, especially with the current state of things.

Where I felt this book didn't hit the mark was having the child follow a stranger they met in the woods back to their home. The other was having the crone give the child something that acted like a hallucinogenic. These negate some of the things we are trying to teach our children like don't go off with strangers and don't take candy from a stranger. I feel like the story could've had the same message without these two instances.

I would almost call this book a sophisticated picture book. While my 4 year old did enjoy the story, the overall meaning went over her head. I think it would be better suited to slightly older children.

The you to NetGalley and Rosetta Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

📱E-Book Review📱

The Witch Of The Woods
By - Zetta Elliott

Illustrated by - Purple Wong

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a really great quick read aimed at the younger age audience.
I read this during Halloween week and had been drawn in by the image on the front cover.

I absolutely loved the message here but feel that it would definitely need to be discussed more having been prompted by some of the text and the images within the book.
Maybe even a great pick for full class reading during a topic week.

I liked the idea that the witch in the woods turned out to be someone who promoted change and improvement - saving the seeds and holding onto a message of hope.

I think that change needs to come from the young and to teach these things early on will also prompt parents to make those same changes too.

The little girl was not afraid and she is definitely the kind of advocate we need for our children.
Life in my era was very black and white and it's refreshing to see the books coming through to help change this attitude.

I loved the inclusion of the pictures throughout the book which is great for the younger children to follow along as the story is read to them - but also provides a stronger image for those younger readers to cement the ideas of the book.

A great book to add to your shelves at home or to add to the school libraries.



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

This is not your typical children’s book. It has some intense themes that would be better suited to upper middle grades just due to the complexity of thinking required. Some scenes could be disturbing for young children. As an adult it makes me want to think about the symbolism and the deeper message behind the words combined with the pictures.

I was given a free copy of this from NetGalley for my honest review.

I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.

The illustrations were very well done. I enjoyed looking at the details of the pictures. Truly amazing details.

The story itself felt rushed towards the end. It may be a bit much for the age range it is meant for. Then again all children read a different levels. I have to say I was a bit uncomfortable with the child's fascination with death there for a bit. The fact that she did wander off with a strange woman and that this strange woman who this child does not know fed her and did her hair. Offered her a seed that somehow showed her this beautiful place. I understand that the old woman was mean to be a guide of sorts but this has a child taking things from a stranger. Food. Seed put in mouth. Even a salva for the child's baby sibling.

This just was not for me. This may be for other people but this was not for me.

This book was definitely...interesting. But in a weird way. There were multiple things that didn't sit quite right with me, but two things that I enjoyed.
The good:
- The illustrations were very detailed, and beautifully colored! It is apparent that the illustrator has an eye for detail and a lot of talent.
- The central theme of hope. This is so important now more than ever, and it is awesome that the author has this as a prominent element of this book.

The not-so-good:
- The main event of running off with a stranger. I understand that this is a common theme in many stories for kids, but it was more in-your-face in this book. I think that the author can keep the Witch's character the same, but I would be cautious how much you go against "stranger danger". You don't want it to go so far that it becomes "anti-stranger danger".
- The seed scene. It felt very forced, and really seemed like a drug parallel. Putting a seed on a kid's tongue and then said kid sees a beautiful world? It's hard not to relate this scene to LSD. While kids obviously won't recognize this, it will still trip up parents.
- The rushed and lazy plot. There was a plot present, but towards the end it felt like the author had to finish the book quickly, and there was a lack of effort in the final pages. The main thing that allows this book to get to a conclusion is the scene I mentioned above, and it felt like a weak plot point. I think that having the Witch and the girl cast a spell or make a potion to save the city would have made more sense and been more engaging.
- The girl's interest in death. Not that I'm against this - it's good to explore and be curious about the world around you. However, choosing a dead bird to articulate this isn't a good idea for a kids' book. It could spark some unwanted or odd behaviors in kids after reading this book. See also: true crime books.

This just wasn't a book that worked for me!

Powerful picture book!

A little girl wanders into the woods and finds community with the town witch as she struggles with her baby sibling’s illness. Had themes of conservation, grief, growth and healing.

I loved it. Super cute and a lot to digest.

This is the story of a young girl that lives in a smog covered city. She has a baby sister that is sick. While her parents are preoccupied with her ill infant sister, she sneaks off to the woods to explore without her mask. There, she meets and old woman who is known as the Witch of the Woods. The young girl learns that the old woman is nice, and she shares her hope with the girl that one day, life and nature will come back to their city if everyone works together. The story is filled with hope and inspiration, and also touches on tough subjects such as death (she finds a dead bird, and she is also not sure if her baby sister will live), and pollution. Good illustrations.

This book gave me chills!

First, let me say that this is surprisingly deep for a children's picture book. But OMG, it is so good! There is a lot of fantastic subtext that begs to be unpacked.

Ultimately, this is a book that celebrates conservation and promotes environmental awareness and protection. Powerful and haunting.

I'm honestly not sure I've ever read such a uniquely moving picture book. Our story follows a young girl who finds solace in the dark and dank of the woods outside of her smoggy, polluted city. She's heard stories of a witch in the woods, but only finds solitude — until one day, when she is intrigued by a dead bird. A crone appears, persuading the girl to not bother the dead animal, and leads her back to her home. Lo and behold, the crone is the witch of the woods she's been warned about, but there's nothing scary about her. In fact, she is a conservationist who preserves seeds of brighter, beautiful things that the world lacks. Though her world doesn't automatically change, the young girl is gifted something priceless from the crone: hope.

It feels wrong to say that this is a darker book because there is so much of that hope woven throughout, but I would say it depends on the child reading it. The illustrations help create the mood perfectly, and the actual story isn't watered down at all. I thoroughly enjoyed it. (I also have to admit that I don't think I've read a picture book with a Black witch, so I loved that representation especially! Her entire vibe was *chef's kiss*.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 ☆
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The Witch of the Woods by Zetta Elliott is about a young girl who lives in a world where smog and pollution are harming the environment, and everything seems dead. The young girl ventures into the woods and meets a "witch" who teaches her about the circle of life. This book was great, and the illustrations were perfect. This is a good book for children, teaching them about the harmful effects of pollution and the circle of life.
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Thank you. Netgalley, and Rosetta Press for the Ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Set in a future world where smog & pollution is killing the planet, The Witch of the Woods is dark for a picture book. But I loved the illustrations and the overall message of hope. The lovely depiction of the food cycle was so nice & it is a great book to teach the kiddos about environmentalism.

Thanks to NetGalley, Zetta Elliott, and Rosetta Press for the chance to read and review! My opinions are my own.

"The Witch of the Woods" by Zetta Elliott is a sweet children's book about a little girl in a city that is really affected by pollution and smog. She goes into the woods for fresh air and encounters a woman known as a rich. Instead of being afraid, she is open to teaching and hope from the older woman. Touching story. Thanks to Rosetta Press and NetGalley for the eARC.