OMG! Witchycakes is SO cute! This is a really fun early chapter book with gorgeous full-color illustrations on every page. The protagonist, Blue, is training to be a witch and helping out their mom at her bakery. I loved all of the fun witchy baking! This one would definitely enchant young readers, and I loved it as an adult!

Thanks to NetGalley, Kara LaReau, and Random House Children's for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

Blue (they/them) is a witch in training. They work for their mother delivering magical baked goods throughout Shellville. This story follows Blue and their seagull familiar, Gully, around town during a day of delivering treats. As the day progresses, the two run into various townsfolk who need help. Though Blue is still learning to get the hang of magic, they have something just as special to help solve their neighbor's problems: friendship and imagination.

This is a cute early chapter book with diverse characters, charming illustrations, and many cute animal friends. Recommended for readers of books like Zoey and Sassafras, Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue, or Heidi Heckelbeck.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun kids book. This is full of magic and whimsy. This will be a great read for kids.

Blue, a non-binary child, is an apprentice witch. They works with their mother in a magic bakery, by doing the deliveries. They ride all over town with their familiar, a sea gull, and drop off orders. Each place they drop off orders has a different situation going on, that they think magic can fix.


And while magic does appear to be the right answer, it fails each time, and Blue has to think of how else to solve the problem. A missing hamster, a mourning store manager, and an overworked mother are all some of the problems they encounter.


I like how Blue figured out how to solve problems without magic, just as a child reading the book might do. By helping the mother, and getting her kids to join in, for example.


This is the first in a series, there is at least one other book on the way, so this is not the last we have seen of Blue. It is full of colorful illustrations, and cute situations that kids can relate to.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 5th of August 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Witchycakes.

“In a village by the sea live a witch and witch-to-be. Life is sweet and never dull, and it’s always, always magical.”

Blue is a witch-in-training that uses their magic to help the townsfolk. When Blue’s magic doesn’t work or malfunctions, they use kindness, hard work, and problem solving! This is a beautiful children’s book that is inclusive of queer and non-binary characters. I love that Blue uses they/them pronouns. Highly recommend and I cannot wait for the other editions to come out! 5 stars

This is a cute story about a young witch learning to use their powers. Their mom owns a bakery and they spend the day delivering orders around their cute little beach town. During the day, they try to use magic to help the people they come across, but when the magic didn't work the way they intended, they learned that sometimes it is better to help people without magic. It was a heartwarming tale. My daughter loved the book! A couple things to be aware of for younger readers: there's a storyline of a child keeping a secret from his parents and there is some discussion about loss. Overall, highly recommend.

This was so adorable. I love the small coastal town vibes, the relationship between the people in town, and the mother-child relationship. The artwork is so cute. The art and story have such a cozy aesthetic. This is a great book for readers starting on chapter books. Those that enjoy wholesome magical tales will likely enjoy this one.