The Knitting Witch

I don't typically read children's books but the cover and title of this one got me. The Knitting Witch follows a spoiled little gremlin child named Ivy Lou who throws massive tantrums.
This book was silly and sweet. I do think the actual "lesson" portion of the story is a tad short compared to the bulk of it, which highlights Ivy Lou's tantrums. Overall it was a silly story that gave old fairytale vibes (think Grimm's fairytales) in a good way. I loved the art style and I think that is really what made the book for me.

Thank you Netgalley and The Collective Book Studio for an E-arc.

This is a fun bedtime story to read. It's funny and the art is fantastic.This book is perfect for anyone that loves classic fairy tales.

This is a clever story that belongs on the shelf reserved for timeless classic children's stories. As a parent, I feel the pain the parents feel as their child throws her tantrums and grows increasingly spoiled, and the hope of redemption for all of us.

The Knitting Witch is a delight. As an adult, I read it both with a nostalgic eye, and with my niece and nephews in mind; and when I finished, I wrote down the publication date so I can pick up a physical copy. Main character Ivy Lou breaks rules in zany ways that grab the reader's attention, but as badly as she acts out, she undergoes an equal discipline and lesson via the witch. Norma Kassirer writes approachably for middle grade readers, and utilizes dry humor, irony, and matter-of-fact descriptions of impossible things, reminding me of favorite books I read at that age. For its age group, The Knitting Witch is witty, very entertaining, and a great fable.

The artwork by Mark Richardson is pretty remarkable. It reminded me of the artist Dirk Zimmer, and at times of Sir John Tenniel's illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Tomie dePaola's for Strega Nona. The mixture of realism and surrealism/exaggeration, as well as the often muted color palette, made for unsettling imagery. I won't go too far into it, but I would have eaten his creepy illustrations up as a middle grade reader! He took me back to when I first read all those beloved eerily-beautifully illustrated books, and I'm excited to get this book and others illustrated by him for my niece and nephews.

Overall, I was very happy with The Knitting Witch, and would reach for this any time to read to my niblings. It was genuinely fun to experience, and I won't get tired of looking at the many detailed illustrations. My thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital Direct Reader Copy I read!

I recently read The Knitting Witch, a short illustrated children’s book. In this story, we follow Ivy Lou, a bratty, spoiled child. This story reminded me a lot of classic children’s fairytales, teaching morals and ultimately, ending happily. The artwork throughout this book is beautiful! 🧙🏻‍♀️🧶🖤

This book publishes on September 17, 2024, just in time for spooky season, and would be a great addition to young readers holiday plans!

Thank you, @netgalley, for providing this book for an honest review!

A whimsical, old fashioned fairy tale with modern illustrations and beautiful illustrations. I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book and it was a delight to turn each page and find a new illustration 4.25/5

“‘At least,’ whispered her mother, ‘she didn’t ask for an ocean. She isn’t nearly as unreasonable as they say.’”

Ivy Lou lives in a fancy house. She gets everything she asks for, from a horse to an airplane to a pirate ship with real life pirates. Whenever she doesn’t get her way, Ivy Lou throws massive tantrums. Because of her temper, Ivy Lou doesn’t have many friends.

One day, a witch appears at Ivy Lou’s house offering to knit her some magical playmates – but the witch actually makes Ivy Lou’s fancy house, her mother and her father, and all of her toys disappear. Now, Ivy Lou is stuck being the child of a witch, living in a little hut and wishing she could be with her family again. Is there any way she can make that happen?

My favorite thing about this book was hands down the beautiful illustrations. They were charmingly done in black, white and sepia tones with occasional splashes of color. The vivid art style really brought this story to life and made for an enjoyable reading experience.

However, I did have a slight problem with the writing style. While it was descriptive, sometimes it was overly so. I also felt like the sentences would occasionally run on longer than necessary. I could imagine a child getting a little lost while trying to pay attention to the story.

The story itself was charming and was reminiscent of classic parables and fables. It was cute, fast paced, and overall an enjoyable read. I could see children really loving this one.

This felt like such a comfortable, old-fashioned story, but with modern language. Ivy Lou is so wonderfully told as a naughty girl who throws 3 levels of tantrums, and the witch is powerful -- but luckily, not so observant. Such a satisfying ending. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Definitely reminds me of Coraline but also a little of hansel and Gretel. Definitely worth a read especially if you or you know/have a middle grader that would like to read this, especially during spooky season

Ivy Lou is spoiled rotten, and throws different fits to get her way from her parents. One day a witch comes to the house, and offers to knit some children for Ivy Lou to play with. For some reason Ivy Lou can not make friends.


But when the witch knits, she knits away the house, and Ivy’s parents, and everything she loves. Soon she is tricked into believing she is the child of the witch, and she has to help make spells. But being unmagical, she fails each time. She doesn’t learn to knit either. She is very miserable. And it doens’t work to throw tantrums with the witch. She loves to watch them.
Cute parable like tale of what happens when you always get your way. Not as heavy handed as it sounds, and it is actually a pleasant little read.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 17th of September 2024.

I loved this. I have read other pieces from Norma Kassirer throughout my childhood so being able to read this one was so nostalgic and also heartwarming. She has a wonderful was of telling stories and pair those with the beautiful artwork you are left with a reading experience that is like no other. You can tell the design and layout of the book was crafted with care and thought. The writing, like always, is great for all ages and another great addition to her collection of books.

This is a very classic feeling story and I would believe if you told me it's been around for generations (or at least since the invention of airplanes). For me, it's in the same vein as Pamela Purse, but with a stronger moral and a redemptive conclusion.

The illustrations were lovely and just right for this type of book, and I appreciated how many of them there were.

the illustrations set the perfect tone for this charming story, reminiscent of a classic fairy tale


thank you to netgalley and the collective book studio for this arc!

This book felt like reading a classic, witchy fairytale straight out of the Brothers Grimm, and if someone had told me it had been around for years, I would have believed it.
The illustrations were gorgeous and fit the ambiance of the story well. This was a quick and cute read that I could see fans of fairytales enjoying.
I enjoyed this story overall, but I felt like it fell flat in the writing style and the execution of Ivy Lou learning her lesson and coming to appreciate what she had (and almost lost) at the end.

Thank you to The Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I was immediately drawn to 'The Knitting Witch' because of the beautifully illustrated cover - so reminiscent of childhood Halloweens! Maybe it was the art style, but the story itself reminded me a bit of Maurice Sendak's 'Pierre' (also super nostalgic!)

Despite that initial draw, the story fell a little flat for me and I'm still not sure why. Maybe it was more anticlimactic than I expected? I will say I wondered briefly if the Witch was going to teach Ivy Lou the lesson of gratitude on purpose and redeem herself, so I appreciate that she simply remained 'evil' for the whole story.

All in all though, this was a quick, cute read!

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

This story feels like a Brother’s Grimm classic. The cover of the book drew me in. I love the illustration style. It looks old fashioned. The story is about a girl, Ivy Lou, who is spoiled rotten, ungrateful, and doesn’t have any friends. Her parents are willing to give her anything which ends up in a deal with a witch. Ivy Lou learns that there are dire consequences to her selfish ways and the things that she says (when she throws tantrums). It’s a fun, dark fairytale with a happy ending. My children enjoyed it, but it took a while to get through because it is rather long and wordy.
Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this fun title.

💬 Hmm, my thoughts on this one...bearing in mind it was a late elementary/early middle grade book, it wasn't bad. I think I wanted a little more depth from it. I think I was waiting for a more obvious opportunity for the very bratty girl to learn her lesson and I didn't feel like we got that. It was very reminiscent of like Hansel and Gretel kind of, with a little bit of Coraline. The illustrations, though, were spot on and reminded me of Roald Dahl's books like Matilda and The BFG.

The Knitting Witch: a classic tale of teaching the bratty child to appreciate the small things in life. I really enjoyed this book— especially the illustrations. I mean you can’t go wrong with a classic witch! It’s out September 17, just in time for Autumn.

This story was very reminiscent of older fairytales and witch stories. Ivy Lou is a very spoiled child and would throw tantrums whenever she didn't get her way. This attracts a witch who promises to help the family, but instead knits and transforms their house into a witch's hut and tries to make Ivy Lou turn into a witch child.
I appreciated that the witch didn't give in to Ivy Lou's tantrums - she thought they were amusing. I didn't quite understand the witch's motivations. And I don't know if I like the message that inherently beautiful things equal good and ugly things equal evil. It seems like a pretty antiquated idea.
I enjoy the vintage feel of the illustrations and felt that they really helped tell the story.
Fans of traditional fairytales and fables will likely enjoy this book.

This story reads rather like a classic fairy tale, warning children off of bad behavior. It reminds me of this book I used to read about a witch growing up. It was a very entertaining read.

When I requested this, I hadn’t quite realized this was a short children’s book, but I decided to read it anyway. The story itself was cute enough with the bratty Ivy Lou learning to be thankful through a series of rather nasty events. The illustrations felt perfect for the vintage feel of the text and story—though I do have on gripe and that is that neither Ivy Lou nor the witch was knitting correctly! This wasn’t a particularly unique children’s story, but it was sweet and had a fairly satisfying ending.

I love to find children's books that I know could stay in the child's library for years to come, pulled out when they are looking back on childhood. The Knitting Witch gives me that feeling. Ivy Lou is a little gremlin who throws fits! It was a cute story, and I loved the look of it.

Thank you NetGalley and The Collective Book Studio for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I adored this children’s tale. The manuscript was discovered by the author’s daughter, and I’m so glad she’s sharing it with all of us! The story teaches a great lesson of how to behave. I’m glad I requested this.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Collective Book Studio for the eARC. All opinions are mine.

Ohhh Ivy Lou!! How you make all those other literary naughty children look totally angelic!!

Reminiscent of Grimm's Fairy Tales, this is the story of an extremely spoiled little girl [quite possibly the most spoiled girl ever], her family that cannot control her [but loves her so much in spite of her naughtiness and tantrums] and a witch who promises to make everything better [three guesses as to the truth in that LOL]. What happens next is up to you to find out [and what a fun time that will be].

A totally engaging story that is thought-provoking, lesson-teaching, and just a tiny bit creepy, and filled with delightful illustrations that really add to the overall story and will delight all that read it. Littles and their adults will really enjoy this story and seeing all the the extras in the illustrations and it will evoke quite a bit of conversation.

Well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Norma Kasirer, Mark Richardson - Narrator, and The Collective Book Studio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book caught my eye when I saw it compared to Coraline by Neil Gaiman. After reading the book, I must agree that it certainly does have a similar feel. The Knitting Witch is a children's book about a very spoiled little girl named Ivy Lou and how her life changes after meeting a very cruel witch. It's a unique story that would be a little bit spooky to young kids, but also very enjoyable. I could see this being a fantastic Halloween read for parents and their young children. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to others.

The Knitting Witch is a fun story about a little girl named Ivy Lou who gets everything she asks for and a witch who kidnaps her. It had very old school spooky story vibes, but was super cute. I really loved the illustrations.

The beginning of the plot dragged on a bit for me, but I was very invested by the end. Whilst the moral of the story about not being greedy and spoiled has been done is many books, the witch felt new and interesting.

Thanks to Norma Kassirer, NetGalley, and The Collective Book Studio for the chance to read and review! My opinions are my own.

Pretty funny story of a very spoiled little girl of very rich parents and her comeuppance! I think kids 2nd to 4th gr
ade will enjoy this story. I like cautionary tales for kids. This one was pretty original in it's telling. The witch was grand! Illustrasions were wonderful. I'm betting they will look even better in color. Anyone who knows of a spoiled, unappreciative child, should get them this book. Pretty quick read and I am sure the child will recognize themselves, lol.

This was creepy and perfect and atmospheric, and the art is FABULOUS! The story is absolutely gripping and it will keep the middle-grade graphic novel lovers glued to the pages of this little book!

This was everything I look for in a children's story, it had just the right amount of silliness and creativity to the story to make it entertaining for both the children and their caregiver who is reading it to them!! Loved it!

BEAUTIFUL book. The illustrations are reminiscent of children's chapter books from the 70s/80s. The art reminds me a bit of Strega Nona. I will be purchasing a copy of this book for my personal collection. Nostalgia says and I love how whimsical and striking the art and prose are in this. 5 stars!

*The Knitting Witch* by Norma Kassirer is a delightful and magical story that’s perfect for a children’s bedtime read. The book follows Ivy Lou, a little girl who seems to have everything—except friends. When a witch shows up and offers to knit her some magical playmates, Ivy Lou’s life takes a surprising and spooky turn.

At first, Ivy Lou thinks having friends made by magic is wonderful, but things quickly go wrong. The witch’s creations start to replace everything in her life, even her parents and home. Soon, Ivy Lou is trapped in the witch’s Horrid Little Hut, where the witch plans to turn her into a witch’s child. Ivy Lou tries to fight back, but she’s terrible at doing magic. With time running out, she must find a way to escape before it’s too late.

I loved how this story reads as a whimsical bedtime tale, full of imaginative and magical elements that make it fun and engaging. The illustrations by Mark Richardson are beautiful and add an extra layer of charm to the story, making it even more enchanting.

Overall, *The Knitting Witch* is a sweet and enjoyable story that will capture the hearts of young readers and anyone who loves a good fairy tale. It’s a perfect mix of magic, adventure, and a little bit of spookiness, making it a great choice for bedtime.
#TheKnittingWitch #NetGalley

There is no doubt that Ivy Lou is a spoiled little girl. Her well-meaning mommy and daddy have given her everything she wants, and if they have ever been reluctant to give in to her Ivy Lou's legendary tantrums have left even the neighbors begging them to give in. But in spite of all of her toys and her personal freeway and her private ship crewed by her own pirates Ivy Lou has no friends. When a witch shows up offering to knit some magic friends for Ivy Lou, Daddy uses the last of his money to hire her. Unfortunately the witch has her own reasons for being interested in Ivy Lou, and soon Ivy Lou's life of privilege is gone. As her old life fades Ivy Lou tries to settle in to being a witch's child, but something in her old life just won't let go.
Reminiscent of Roald Dahl, The Knitting Witch starts with a very nasty little girl, gives her exactly what she deserves, and then redeems her in a fresh and satisfying way.. Mark Richardson's illustrations set the perfect mood for Norma Kassirer's expert storytelling.