How to be a Witch

written by Gabrielle Balkan & Shana Gozansky
illustrated by Carmen Saldaña
published by Rise x Penguin Workshop, September 10, 2024
978-0593751190
ages 3-6, 48 pages
>> AVAILABLE: Your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop (Bookshop affiliate links support the author and independent bookstores), Penguin Random House
>> ORDER SIGNED COPIES through Oblong Books—they ship!
>> ACTIVITY SHEETS: Create Your Own Gratitude Spell, Draw Your Own Potion
>> SPANISH EDITION coming in Summer 2025

A witch-themed picture book unlike any other – it’s nonfiction!

“What makes a witch a witch? How do you know if you want to be one? Well, do you love nature? Do you like helping others? Do you believe magic is real? Do you like learning new things? If you answered yes, then you have what it takes to become a witch.”

Many people have very specific associations when it comes to thinking about a “witch.” Some might picture a scheming, warted, and/or green-faced woman in a pointy hat and heels, brewing a potion with gruesome ingredients intended for harm or selfish purposes. And though witches are real, none of that is actually true!

Over many centuries, knowledgeable, powerful, and healing women have been demonized by men who fear a loss of power or pride. And through those same centuries, certain people have passed down their lived and learned knowledge of nature’s power to heal. Those who identify as witches today are most often natural healers whose wisdom serves to help those around them.

Written in a conversational, engaging tone, and illustrated in an accessible and appealing style, this book dispels stereotypes and expands young readers’ knowledge of what it means to be a REAL witch. Complete with a suggested potion and spell in the backmatter, this is a current and worthy celebration of witches!

Backmatter Includes: Gratitude Spell + instructions, Gratitude Potion + instructions, More Things to Know About Witches (aka Q&A) .

SELECT REVIEWS

“An enticing invitation to connect with nature and share one’s own brand of magic with the world.” — Booklist

EXCERPT

“Casting a spell is one way that witches make magic. A spell can be a poem, a song, a chant, or even a whisper! Witches cast spells to help someone else, or to help themselves. A spell is a special way for a witch to share their love, thank someone, or say they want to help.”

BACKMATTER EXCERPT from Gratitude Spell

“Would you like to try some magic? We wrote a gratitude spell and potion just for you. Use them as they are, or let them inspire you to create a spell and potion of your very own.

‘I thank the sun for its warming energy, the moon for its cool cast of light. I thank my friends for their laughter and play, my family for our cozy, loving life.’”

BACKMATTER EXCERPTS from More Things to Know About Witches

“Do real witches use a broomstick to fly from one place to another? ‘No. Brooms cannot fly, unless they have a
motor! Real witches use scooters, skateboards, roller skates, trains, buses, and the same sort of transportation that anyone else might use. The idea of flying broomsticks may have started hundreds of years ago, when some farmers thought it was good luck to dance and jump with a broom or pitchfork under the light of a full moon. This dance was supposed to look like corn growing and encourage the plant to grow tall!’ — Gabrielle”

“How does someone become a witch?
’There are many different paths to becoming a witch. A witch might come from a family with many generations of witches; another might be inspired by cultural traditions; and some might teach themselves. Practicing witchcraft can be something you have inherited or something someone else might inherit from you.’ — Shana”