When the Old Witch accidentally burns her broom while brewing a potion, she finds walking terribly inconvenient, and borrows a broom from the farm below her cave until she can repair her own. Having enchanted the farm broom in order to use it, she forgets to disenchant it when she returns it, leading Ma and Pa Farmer to experience a series of magical flying adventures, until the witch discovers what has transpired, and puts an end to their flight...

Published in 1969, The Witchy Broom is one of a number of witchy early reader/picture-books written by Ida DeLage, and featuring the character of the Old Witch, a magical practitioner living in a cave above a small farming village. Until today I believed that DeLage's Old Witch series comprised thirteen titles, beginning with The Farmer and the Witch (1966) and concluding with The Old Witch and the Crows (1983), and that this, The Witchy Broom was an unrelated title. Having now read it, however, I believe it does belong with the others in the series. Although the witch here is never referred to as the 'Old Witch,' with capital letters, she is described in lowercase as 'the old witch,' and is depicted living in a cave, on a hill, above a farm belonging to Ma and Pa Farmer. Clearly these are the same characters, and the same setting, that feature in some of the other early Old Witch books. Given that this is so, I am quite glad that the librarian who hunted down copies of some of the other Old Witch titles I was looking for, also brought this one out. The story here is engaging, and will appeal to children who dream (especially post Harry Potter!) of having their own flying broom. The artwork, done by Walt Peaver, depicts the Old Witch in a somewhat more grotesque fashion than previous installments in the series, but also has a vintage charm. Recommended to anyone looking for older children's picture-books with a witchy and/or Halloween theme. ( )