Review by Booklist Review
Inheriting a cursed, naughty table, a young witch tries to find a way to live with the table peacefully. For generations, the witch's family has attempted to dispose of the table, but no matter what they try, the table always returns to them. The table has literal legs with knobby knees, warts, and exaggerated big feet, which it uses to create mischief for the witches by stepping on toes, kicking people in the backside, and buckling to spill things. Initially, the witch, takes hilarious precautions, such as tying a pillow to her backside to guard against the table's antics. But as time goes on, she begins to think about the table's feelings, putting a rug under the table when the floor is cold, inviting it to sit on the couch and put its feet up in the evenings, and getting an enchanted lamp that the table can befriend. The more the witch accommodates the table and treats it with kindness, the more peaceful it becomes. The multimedia cartoon illustrations add curious details that readers will find amusing, and the quirky vignettes successfully deliver the story's gentle lesson in empathy and care. A clever take on magical thinking perfect for the SEL shelves.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When you think you don't have a leg to stand on… A young witch inherits a misbehaving Table from a long line of ancestors who couldn't curb its antics. The Table's legs are humanlike, complete with warty knees. The clever witch at first simply outsmarts it, but she's genuinely empathic and comes to realize that the Table needs compassion and understanding. The author subtly hints that this is no ordinary table. The wordtable is capitalized, suggesting it has importance and worth. The shift in the witch's relationship with her new friend is reflected in the refrain "she thought about the Table." The witch considers things from the Table's point of view, buying it a rug to keep its feet warm, fashioning a tablecloth for it, and purchasing a lamp to brighten up her home. Unsurprisingly, the witch's thoughtful acts and patience eventually result in a complete turnabout in the Table's behavior, and the pair become boon companions. Despite the cobwebs, bats, and scowling black cat, the witch's home is downright cozy; the cartoon illustrations reflect the warm message of this comical, thought-provoking tale, while the clever wordplay ("sometimes it is less important to see eye to eye…than it is to see toe to toe") will have readers chuckling. The dark-haired young witch has light-brown skin; other human characters are racially diverse. A witty charmer.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
