The witch's threats to give people worms and the brooding mandrake may frighten some young children, but the story is more whimsical than scary.Zelinsky’s pen and ink illustrations capture the spunk and ingenuity of Earwig’s personality. Despite her fantastic situation, Earwig is a relatable character in that she is a head-strong child responding to a situation where someone else is the boss. With the help of her new friend Thomas the cat, Earwig sets her mind to learning magic herself.Children who love classic fairy tale takes on magic will enjoy the wonderful descriptions of disgusting spell ingredients and secret brewing processes.

At her new home, Earwig is instructed to grind rats bones and pick herbs for the cauldron, and soon determines that Bella Yaga is a witch. But one day, her uncanny ability to deter prospective foster-parents fails, and she goes home with the strangest couple: Bella Yaga, a “raggety, ribby” faced woman with terrible fashion sense, and a tall man who seems to have horns above his ears. Zelinsky.Ages 8-11.Earwig is perfectly happy to remain at St.

Using her own cleverness-with a lot of help from a talking cat-she decides to show the witch whos boss.Ī young middle grade novel by World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement-winner Diana Wynne Jones, beautifully and humorously illustrated in black and white by Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Most children would run in terror from a house like that. Morwalds, disguised as foster parents.Įarwig is whisked off to their mysterious house full of invisible rooms, potions, and spell books, with magic around every corner. But all that changes the day Bella Yaga and the Mandrake come to St. She gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants it, and its been that way since she was dropped on the orphanages doorstep as a baby. Morwalds Home for Children, but Earwig does. Not every orphan would love living at St. Read the book that inspired the full-length animated feature produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli and directed by Goro Miyazaki.

Diana wynne jones earwig and the witch