WITCH HAZEL by Enric Lluch

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel is a little bored of poisoning apples in the Snow White tale and decides to visit Witch Bosslady to be relocated.

She is definitively a peculiar witch. She lands with her broom in the airport and uses the bus. She loves squid sandwiches, pays for the apples she's going to fill with a ton of poison and doesn't like arguments. She suffers chilblains and is very greedy.

Bossy Witch relocates her in Hansel and Gretel's story because the witch in charge is ill. Witch Hazel has to read the book to know what to do and finally she flies towards the chocolate house. 

For a little while everything happens according to the story we all know. Hansel is being kept prisoner in a cage and Gretel is going to light the oven. 

Due to the heat coming from the oven, the house starts to melt and… that's it! Witch Hazel manages to completely mess up Hansel and Gretel's tale because… she read only half the book!!!

Not a scary witch at all, is she? 

Edited by Algar Editorial, this incredibly illustrated book is part of a collection of ten titles called The Chest Full of Monsters where you'll find, besides Witch Hazel, all those creepy creatures, who usually scare our young readers, presented in a humorous way and unusual situations.  

For a more interactive experience The Witch, The Vampire, The Bogeyman and the Zombie are available for iPad too. You'll be able to choose among five languages, English, German, French, Spanish and Catalan, and also, to record your voice while reading it: it could be an alternative solution to teach pronunciation.

The publishing house gives us the opportunity to try The Zombie for free.

Don't miss it!

Some Witchy Printables

NOT NOW, BERNARD by David McKee

May I say that I found this book a little weird? It's a bilingual version, published by Anaya, of a very famous illustrated novel written by David McKee and translated into many languages as well.

It's strange because the protagonist, Bernard, didn't get any revenge for being ignored by his parents all the time. 

On the contrary, right in the middle of the story, he's eaten by a monster, which was waiting for him in the garden. Can a supposed protagonist die in the middle of a book?

What terrible parents! Always too busy to pay any attention to their own son, who, desperately looking for someone to spend time with, ends up eaten by an unfriendly-looking monster. Can you see the metaphor?

This happens in real life as well, doesn't it?

The tale continues showing the monster, which has now taken the place of Bernard, going indoors and being ignored by those busy parents of Bernard. 

The monster has changed into Bernard now, we can recognize the child's expression on its face. It could be judged as an annoying kid: It bites the father's leg, it beaks toys… At the end of the story, even its identity as a monster starts to weaken. 

It rings a bell… it reminds me of some students with a difficult personality, whose distrust was overcome with some extra praise and affection.

Anyway, the book is easy reading for 6 year-old Spanish students and it's food for thought. It has got attractive illustrations that will catch your students attention, easy-to-follow story lines that will keep them attentive, and simple, repetitive language presented in a meaningful context that will help retention.

Many other classroom activities are explained in this READING GUIDE