The Friendly Witch, upset that she had received no cards, presents, or visitors for her birthday, decided to throw herself a party, and soon found her house packed to the rafters with every imaginable fairy-tale creature. From Beauty and the Beast, who arrived hand-in-hand, to the lamp-rubbing Aladdin, an amazing panoply of guests had soon arrived, leaving the witch with no time to think, and no peace and quiet in which to do it. And then: Shazam! She decided she'd had enough of this partying business. Or had she...?

An engaging enough tale, one with immensely appealing illustrations by Leo Broadley, The Friendly Witch might not be the cream of the crop, when it comes to witchy adventures (really, what could ever top Dorrie the Little Witch?), but it is still worth tracking down, for fans of this sort of thing. Although a tad indecisive, the Friendly Witch is an endearing heroine, and her party will amuse young readers who are fairy-tale fans, and able to pick out all the various characters. ( )