Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler {Picture Book Review}
A generous witch shares her broom in this wonderfully illustrated and delightfully rhymed picture book.
Age Range: 3-5, 4-8
Overall Rating: 5 stars
Literary Value: 5 stars
Artistic Value: 5 stars
Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness
Generosity, helping friends, helping strangers, teamwork, triumphing over adversity
Discussion Questions
How did the witch show generosity to the animals?
How were the animals good friends to the witch?
Academic Tie-ins
This one is just for fun!
Parents might want to know
If you’re not into witches and dragons and magic potions, you probably want to skip this one.
Spectacular Illustrations
From one of the best picture book author/illustrator teams, this gem from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo, is one of my family’s all-time favorite picture books.
This is one of those picture books that you can enjoy from across the room – without seeing any of the pictures. Julia Donaldson is a masterful poet using meter and rhyme and all of the literary devices to create a book that is a delight to read aloud.
This is also a picture book that a non-reader can enjoy on his own. Curled up on a big comfy couch a young child can revel in Axel Scheffler’s illustrations which tell the whole story in delightful detail. The pictures are whimsical and energetic and you can tell exactly how the characters are feeling by the expressions on their faces.
Combining the talents of these two artists creates a picture book that is more than the sum of its parts. Without feeling at all preachy, this is a tale of true generosity. Each time the witch is asked to share her broom, she does, no questions asked. When the witch needs help, the animals help her. When her life is in peril, they work together to save her. And they all live happily ever after.
