After reading Luke & the Longest Night: A Wheel of the Year Book I found more Moon Dust Press titles to read. I am not pagan or an earth-centered person/witch, or into wicca, but I do find it interesting and wish to know more about the subjects. Therefore, my local library was kind enough to find four more titles for me to read.
The first book the publisher released in 2020 was C is for Coven: A Witchcraft Alphabet Book by Andrea Stein. It is not your usual A is for Apple or D is for dog, but A is for Altar and D is for Drawing Down the Moon. There is a little description, too, but it is very much geared towards the parent who practices and wishes to include their child/children into the faith as well. It is a small board book, but I would have loved to see it in a regular picture book format. It felt cramped otherwise. The illustrations are simple enough, but provide good details. Since it is an alphabet book, they are not there to move a story along, but just show you the words. It is a delightful book, but not for everyone.
I was not a huge fan of Flora & the First Day of Spring: A Wheel of the Year Book (with the Luke book was part of). Kathleen Converse and Hanna Sultanova’s story was hitting on the points needed, but it was assuming you already knew about some of the things explored and it was disjointed. However, like Luke with the winter holiday, this does allow a peek into how spring is celebrated and how it influenced Christian holidays. My personal take of these books is that they are not so much for a broader audience, or to be educational in a nonfiction way, but to be like a Christmas or Hanukkah book where a Christian or more secular child would already know what is occuring, and Converse’s book is more focused on being representative of another celebration. Sultanova’s illustrations lean heavily on the pastels and colors of spring. Things are perky, bright, happy, and not overly detailed, but have a lot going on as well.
However, I did like What Witches Wear by Andrea Stein and Taylor Barron. While Barron’s illustrations were not my personal favorite, they are fun, lively and really make the theme move. The cover gives you an idea of things to come inside, but there is also more. They are an experience each person gives and takes from. I like the publisher’s description of, “Do they all wear black capes and pointed hats, or could witches be more common than we think?” It tells you everything you need to know about the book. And ofcourse, the answer is no, they don’t all wear capes and hats. But some do. And they wear other colors, and are teachers, and scientists, and are other body-abled, and tall and short and young and old and male and female. Witches are not your “Hollywood” or Shakespeare presentations and Stein’s book shows how your neighbor, or a friend, or teacher, could be a witch. The nice part is not all the “witches” of the story do “magic” or “positions” but show how things can be magical, scientific, and have connections around them.
I left the title, Sunday the Sea Witch by Stein and Cayce Matteoli for last, but of course, not least. I am still on the fence with this book. The biggest issue I had was what I have with some of the other titles from this publisher which is that things felt disjointed. Information for the non-informed person seemed to be missing. And this time, I felt we jumped right into the middle of the story. Maybe I missed a page or two, or maybe Stein just decided to start where they did, but either way, I came away without completely having a solid like or dislike about the character Sunday and her journey. And that journey is that Sunday is a witch who loves the ocean. Her family leaves near it and it is central to who she is. She is a water witch who, when her family moves to the forest because the family is expanding, must learn she still can be a water witch and still have the ocean and the forest as part of her magic. Which as a concept I enjoyed, but the execution was what I am not sure of. Though the artwork of Matteoli was fun and sweet. They are cozy, and fit the theme and feeling. They set the tone as well. And while not BOLD AND BRIGHT, they are cozy and colorful with somewhat busy details to them.
I am looking forward to Sam & the Samhain Scare: A Wheel of the Year Book by Converse and will be looking into interlibrary loan for the others by Moon Dust Press as well.
