Room on the Broom Book

'Room on the Broom' is a fun little tale,
from the writer of 'Gruffalo', 'Snail and the Whale',
and 'The Gruffalo's Child' - and that should be enough
to convince you that your child will lap up this stuff.

All of Julia Donaldson's books (yeah, you know 'em)
take the form of an intricate narrative poem
(And it's reading this one every night of this week
that's inspired me to lay out this rhyming critique).

The story told here, which takes place one dark night,
tells the tale of a witch having trouble in flight.
As she drops her belongings, she's joined by a frog,
who accompanies her (with a cat, bird and dog)

on a quest to retrieve all the things that she drops
til catastrophe strikes, and the broom journey stops.
(And the details of all these trials and tribulations
are strengthened by Axel Scheffler's illustrations)

But much more than the plot, it's the way that it's written
that leaves all the children who read it so smitten
with a fun use of language and repeated phrases
that even outshine Scheffler's art (which amazes)

As the rhythms and motifs used in the book build
every child who reads it is amused and thrilled
and eager to reread the book countless times
(reinforcing their learning through wordplay and rhymes)

And it's here that the author succeeds in her mission
reaping comfort and joy from the book's repetition
(I've lost count of the times that my own kids request
to read this book especially - cos it's "the best")

With occasional bits that young kids might find frightening
(like the part with the dragon, the storm and the lightning)
this is nonetheless suited to all ages of child,
as even the scares are kept harmless and mild.

So if your kid's at quite a high reading age,
or perhaps if they've not yet quite got to that stage,
or if maybe you're just starting your baby boom,
you could do a lot worse than buy 'Room on the Broom'.

The witch and her cat fly happily over forests rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch's hat bow and wand. They are retrieved by a dog a bird and a frog and each animal asks for a ride on the broom. They climb on one after the next until the broom is so heavy that it snaps in two! What will happen next as they tumble into a bog and meet a greedy dragon?

A long, rhyming story tells a hilarious tale of friendship... One of the most satisfying picture books you'll come across!

Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illus)