Dorrie and the Blue Witch by Patricia Coombs

Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781405277679
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Witches. Magic. Cats. Witchcraft. This is Dorrie. She is a witch. A little witch. Her hat is always on crooked and her stockings never match. It's time for a new generation to meet Dorrie the original worst witch, her cat, Gink and read about all the magic and mayhem in her life.
When her mother leaves for a witches' meeting, Dorrie is left by herself, but Cook should be back shortly. Dorrie is warned to be careful as Mildred the bad Blue Witch is back in town. Unfortunately Dorrie answers a knock at the door, it's not Cook with her borrowed cup of sugar and Mildred enters ready to cause problems.
Dorrie is in big trouble; she needs to think creatively and finds the perfect solution in a kitchen cupboard - shrinking powder. The fun begins with Mildred drinking the milk and quickly changing to a very cross bee-sized witch. When her mother arrives home, she's happy that her daughter has solved the problem and saved the day.
Patricia Coombs' ink and pencil illustrations are mostly black with some splashes of blue and yellow, and occasional splashes of colour. Each character has a unique shape and the mood and tone of the story is told through the drawings. The blue and yellow sparks caused by the cross blue witch fill the air and follow Dorrie into the kitchen showing just how angry Mildred is becoming. The Dorrie books are a welcome release for young readers who enjoy magic, witches and fantasy stories.
Rhyllis Bignell