Rita wants a Witch
This Halloween, Rita wants a witch. She wants a witch that will let her stay up late at night, flying around on a broomstick. Rita’s witch wouldn’t fuss over cleaning or homework – there’s too much marvellous magic to be done! As Rita continues to think about the practicalities of having a witch in her life, she realises that it may not all be fun and games. There are many ways that living with a witch could be disastrous!
The illustrations of Rita (in her adorable black cat costume) and her ‘madly magical’ companion are bright and playful. There are lots of fun tricks and treats in the pictures, from flying underwear and self-completing homework, to a very apt Wizard of Oz nod when Rita has had enough of her wicked witch!
Rita’s tale is filled with equal measures of imagination and sentimentality as Rita realises her mam is better than any spooky old witch, even at Halloween. Mr Ando cleverly connects the characters of the witch and Rita’s mam through his use of colour and pattern. The witch’s cold blue cloak is contrasted to the red warmth of Rita’s mam’s Halloween costume.
The things that Rita needs most, she knows that the witch cannot provide her with. What if she can’t cook anything other than witchy concoctions? What if she doesn’t know how to look after Rita properly when she is sick? These are things that Rita loves her mam for and she knows that the witch just won’t compare.
