Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Grimelda, a young witch with a frizzy mass of red hair, keeps a messy house, which means that it's no easy task to locate the spell book and the pickle root she needs for a recipe. Murray (City Shapes) packs playful comedy into her rhyming verse ("She used her broom to fly, not sweep./ Her floors had dirt six inches deep"), and Ross (How to Behave at a Dog Show) creates a chaotically cozy swamp dwelling for Grimelda, filled with lurking animals, piles of books, vines, and globs of slime. Grimelda eventually caves in and cleans up, but this isn't a story meant to encourage kids to keep their own rooms tidy: Grimelda looks profoundly uneasy in her newly spic-and-span house, and she immediately uses a spell to mess it up again. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Grimelda the witch would love to try a new recipe but can't seem to locate the most important ingredient, pickle root. Realizing that cleaning her extremely cluttered house is the only way she'll find it, she sweeps, scrubs, and organizes "all night and half a day" till the house is tidy and she finds the pickle root, among other important things. But what self-respecting witch lives in a clean house? Children will love the Seussian rhymes that don't miss a beat and will enjoy following a tricky little spider determined to keep the missing ingredient from Grimelda. VERDICT The length is perfect for storytimes, and the illustrations are engrossing. A fun, nonscary selection for year-round sharing.-Melisa Bailey, Harford County Library System, MD © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Young witch Grimelda delights in her cluttered home (Thats the proper witchs way) until the mess prevents her from preparing a new recipe: Whered I put that pickle root? She embarks on a not-so-witchy projectcleaning her houseand the hunt for the pickle root is both endearing and amusing. Playful, singsong rhymes will hold readers attentions while making Grimeldas plight (having to clean her messy space) relatable. Bright, cartoonlike digital illustrations emphasize Grimeldas haphazard life, and the circular ending (Nowwhered I put that pickle root?) will have readers giggling. simran p. gupta (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Children with messy rooms are sure to empathize with Grimelda, and they will see the twist at the end coming a mile away, to their parents chagrin.She used her broom to fly, not sweep. / Her floors had dirt six inches deep. / But though she said she didnt mind, / sometimes things were hard to find. And thats just the situation Grimelda finds herself in when she wants to try out a new recipe for pickle pie: she cant find the pickle root. And a finding spell is out of the question since her spell book is not on its shelf. The little witch finds all sorts of lost treasures in her hunt for the missing ingredient, but it isnt until she has actually swept and tidied and hung up that she finds the pickle root. But before she can cook, something just has to be done about her unnaturally tidy house. But will the pickle root stay where she puts it? Readers with good eyes will spy the ingredient in a couple illustrationsit has help disappearing. The digital illustrations seem to revel in the mess, and there are lots of funny things for readers to spy and shake their heads overhow did that get there? Grimelda is a white redhead with huge, puffy pigtails. Mess-makers will revel in Grimeldas tale. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
