The eponymous magic-maker from Norman Bridwell's The Witch Next Door accompanies her two young friends to summer camp in this third picture-book devoted to their adventures together. Every time something potentially bad or difficult occurs - a rainy day, a confrontation with a sandcastle bully, a difficult trek up a nearby mountain - the witch is there to smooth the way, making this the best summer camp experience ever...

Although I was mostly indifferent to Bridwell's initial story about this magical figure, my interest in witchy picture-books led me to pick up The Witch's Vacation, hoping that it would be an improvement. Unfortunately, I think it's even worse than the first book! While the story and artwork of that initial title simply left me unimpressed, here I had a decidedly negative response. I understand that the story is meant to be lighthearted, but the idea that the best camp experience is to be had when someone smooths the way for you, doing all the work and taking away every challenge, just strikes me as odd and unappealing. Not only does this deny the child characters any sort of agency, it makes for an unsatisfying story, as they never get the opportunity to prove themselves in any meaningful way. This is perfectly symbolized by the scene in which the witch creates an escalator to take the children to the top of the mountain they are meant to be hiking. As someone who has had the satisfaction of completing difficult hikes when young, and who felt a sense of exhausted triumph upon reaching my destination, this strikes me as ludicrously misguided.

I appear to be in the distinct minority on this one, as all of the other online reviews I have seen on The Witch's Vacation are positive. I'll probably give other books in this series a try, if I have the opportunity, given my strong interest in witchy picture-books, but this is not one I recommend. ( )

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$3.99