When Itchy Witchy sneezes she causes all kinds of mayhem in this rhyming early reader from the Sunshine Reading Series, originally produced by the Australian educational publisher, Sunshine Books. From the cat to the mouse, the garden to the house, the clouds and the rain, and then all back again—Itchy Witch's sneezes have a powerful effect...

A brief eight pages, this early reader has only thirty-nine words (forty-three if you count the title), and is considered part of Level C, when it comes to the Sunshine Reading Series. Despite its brevity, and its intended use in reading acquisition, it is actually quite well written, with a nice rhythm and rhyme. I finished it wishing there were more to it—a testament to New Zealand author Joy Cowley's skills as a writer. The accompanying artwork by Wendy Hodder, who also illustrated Trouble on the Bus, Margaret Mahy's own witchy contribution to the Sunshine Reading Series, is colorful and quirky. Recommended to reading teachers, for use with their beginning readers who enjoy witchy fare. ( )

I thought it was too hard for a C book.