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The Little House that Needed a Witch by Sophie Pluim tr. Polly Lawson

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 May 2026

Publisher: Floris Books
ISBN: 9781782509837

See also:
The Runaway Pancake [ACHUKA Book of the Day 31 Jan 2025]

Yes, they keep on coming! Yet another wonderful picture book in translation from Floris Books. In this one, a witch’s house must go on a journey to find a new occupant.

Deep in the forest sat a little witch’s house, but the old witch who’d lived there had gone for good. The little house felt empty and alone. As the seasons changed, grass grew tall around it and mushrooms began to sprout from its roof. The little house knew it must find a new witch or it would fall down.

She was so old even her wrinkles were wrinkled.

What to do? Creaking, the little house stood up and set out on a journey. Would it find a witch in need of a house?

This is a charming original fairy tale from Sophie Pluim, illustrator of The Runaway Pancake. It is the first picture book she has written as well as illustrated.

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The Witch in the Tower – The Three Sisters by Júlia Sardà

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Oct 2025

Waterstones
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See also:
The Hotel Bazaar (illustrator) [ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Nov 2024]
Godfather Death (illustrator) [ACHUKA Book of the Day 9 Nov 2023]
The Queen In The Cave [ACHUKA listed 1 Nov 2021]

“The breathtaking beauty of Sardà’s illustrations… defy description—at once psychedelic, eerie, and Miyazaki-esque in their enchanting detail, they demand poring over. The result is singular, not merely a modern classic but one for the ages. Carmela and the witch are light-skinned. Utterly spellbinding.” KIRKUS

A perfect Halloween read, this second title in The Three Sisters trilogy (The Queen In The Cave being the first) follows middle sister Carmela on a truly wild and wondrous soul-shaping adventure where she meets a mysterious witch and discovers the magic and power within herself…

Meet Carmela…
Carmela’s older sister, Franca, has stopped playing with her. Feeling left out and left behind by her big sister, Carmella walks until she can’t walk anymore and then … she walks a little further. Somehow, she ends up at a tower she’s never noticed before and she knows right away that she’s met a witch; a witch who has, in fact … been waiting for her.

Meet The Witch…
The Witch welcomes Carmela into a magical world far beyond the limits of her imagination – a place filled with cauldrons, spells, potions, flying toads and frogs. Carmela visits libraries teeming with ancient books; rooms where worms and spiders weave intricate dresses; a spectacular dome of crystal prisms and, finally, at the very top of the tower – Carmela gets her very own broomstick. She takes flight – her worries shrinking, her mind expanding and Carmela discovers a power within herself – to see beyond the hurt and pain of growing up, to find her own place in the world.

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Winnie and Wilbur: Looking for Wilbur by Valerie Thomas ill. Korky Paul

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 29 Sep 2025

Waterstones
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See also:
Winnie and Wilbur: Winnie the Witch 35th Anniversary Edition [ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Dec 2022]

Winnie and Wilbur are back! But wait – Wilbur the cat is missing. This is the 27th picture book in the series. Korky Paul’s colourful illustrations are as lively and detailed as ever and Valerie Thomas’s storytelling is pitch perfect.

In Winnie and Wilbur’s latest adventure, Winnie wakes up from an afternoon nap to find her beloved black cat, Wilbur, has vanished. She can’t find him anywhere and her friends haven’t seen him either. Can Winnie use her magic to track down her missing pet?

The best-selling Winnie and Wilbur series has been delighting readers both young and old since 1987 and Winnie and Wilbur have become favourite characters in homes and schools all over the world. Why not try another Winnie and Wilbur picture book-there are over 25 to choose from!

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Korky Paul drawing live at a festival in Lisbon, summer 2025:

Mirabelle and the Baby Dragons by Harriet Muncaster

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 31 Oct 2024

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Isadora Moon books received a big plug from a child reviewer on this morning’s Radio 4 news show.
Here — for Halloween — is the latest in another illustrated chapter book series from the world of Isadora Moon.

Meet Mirabelle Starspell. Her mum is a witch, her dad is a fairy and she is a bit of both. She likes casting spells with her fairy wand and flying around on her witchy broomstick, but most of all the thing she really, really likes to do is cause mischief.

When Mirabelle and her family are invited to spend some time at a dragon sanctuary, Mirabelle cannot wait to get stuck in and show off everything she knows. But she’s about to find out that she’s not quite the dragon expert she believes herself to be . . .

A beautiful hardback edition with silver sprayed edges, and lots of fun activities to do at the back-the perfect gift for the Harriet Muncaster fan in your life.

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Winnie and Wilbur: Winnie the Witch 35th Anniversary Edition by Valerie Thomas ill. Korky Paul

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Dec 2022

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This anniversary edition celebrates 35 years of the original Winnie and Wilbur adventure. Since Winnie and Wilbur first appeared in 1987, they have been delighting children and adults in homes and schools all over the world and more than 9 million books have been sold. Celebrating the wonderful relationship that exists between Winnie and Wilbur, this anniversary edition includes forewords by the author and illustrator, a gallery of Winnie and Wilbur’s most magical memories, and sketches from Korky Paul’s studio.

Winnie shares her big black house with Wilbur her big black cat. So sometimes she accidentally trips over him. Ouch! After some spells that make Wilbur look very silly, Winnie finds just the right magic to make sure she can always see him. It’s a colourful Winnie and Wilbur adventure!

Korky Paul’s intricate artwork is full of madcap humour and crazy details to pore over.

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Isadora Moon Meets The Tooth Fairy by Harriet Muncaster

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Isadora has a wobbly tooth and her mum and dad are more excited about it than she is! Her vampire dad can’t wait to take her to the vampire dentist and have her special little fang framed. Her mum wants Isadora to leave the tooth under her pillow for the tooth fairy. Isadora isn’t sure what to do until one night, she meets a very special, magical mouse called Mignonette. With Mignonette’s help, Isadora will make her own new tradition.