"Ooyooyooy!" First introduced to U.S. readers in Tales of the Wicked Witch (Front Stree, 1995), the wicked witch returns in this collection of 14 engaging, gently comic stories. Life in the forest has gotten boring for the witch since she learned to be nice and swore off sorcery. So when she finds her book of magic spells while cleaning out her closet, she can't resist trying one...and then another. For the animals in the forest, word that the wicked witch is at it again is greeted with some nervousness. But the witch has never been too bright, and her potions present little danger. The appeal of these stories is rooted in the behavior and interactions of the self-indulgent hedgehog, the owl with a fondness for poetry, the hare who usually figures things out, and the not so wicked witch in a collection in which humor is perfectly suited for younger readers. (Ages 8-10)

The witch is up to her old tricks -- dive-bombing the forest, turning the animals into other creatures, making things disappear. The animals decide that she must be stopped. But along the way they find that the forest is much more exciting with a little bit of witchery going on! "A very pleasant visit to an idyllic community, where the animals, each with its own distinct personality, look out for each other, and even the wicked witch is really only naughty."-- "Booklist"