I absolutely adored the Dorrie books as a little girl, taking them out of the library time after time, reading them again and again, and poring over Patricia Coomb's delightful illustrations. I simply wallowed in Dorrie's world, studying everything from the details of Dorrie's attire - her ever-crooked hat, her perpetually mismatched socks - to the fascinating interiors of her home (I particularly like the steep stairway scenes). If willing myself into Dorrie's magical world had been possible, I would surely have succeeded in doing so!

Imagine my surprise and delight then, a little over a year ago, when I discovered that there were Dorrie books I had never encountered! Books like Dorrie's Magic (the first in the series) or Dorrie's Play (the most difficult of all to obtain). I immediately decided to read all twenty titles in chronological order. Unfortunately, my project stalled out when this fifth title - supposedly in my library system, but virtually un-findable - proved difficult to track down. But now here it is, and the Dorrie retrospective can continue!

Dorrie and the Witch Doctor is one of the titles I remember particularly loving (along with Dorrie and the Blue Witch and Dorrie and the Weather Box), so reading it again is a real pleasure! Dorrie's grumpy Aunt Agra - whose visit literally makes her ill, necessitating the calling in of the Witch Doctor - is such a trial (almost as bad as the Blue Witch!), that young readers will identify with Dorrie's green-faced distress. As always, Coombs manages to take a common childhood experience - dealing with difficult and overly critical adult relatives - and make it magical. The happy resolution, rather than coming from a spell, is the result of a different kind of magic altogether! ( )

Book from childhood. Dorrie get sick after the crank aunt comes. Doctor makes aunt not mean and the wholegroup has a happy visit. Not the best Dorrie but I still love Mrs. Fraiser. ( )

Cute story about a little witch who gets sick. ( )

I loved this book as a kid. ( )