This poem came about in 1998 or 1999, I don't remember exactly. I was babysitting for my sister while she worked, and her youngest daughter, Sophie, came home from school, one day, needing a poem aouta witch, and asked me to help her find one. It didn't happen. I looked everywhere and couldn't find a poem about a witch that was suitable for young children, so I wrote The Storybook Witch. She loved it, apparently her teacher and the class did as well, and over the years, as I've shared it on social media, others have too.
About 15 years ago, I began trying to find somebody to illustrate it for me, as I thought it would make a nice picture book introduction to poetry, for young children. Unfortunately, despite various contacts, I was never able to find somebody who could visualize it the way that I did, or had the talent to draw anything remotely like what I was wanting. Year passed into year and it seemed I was destined never to see what I was hoping for, come to pass.
Then, this year, I decided to look for a professional illustrating company to do so, and I discovered Blueberry, and they've been absolutely awesome. Over the course of about 3-4 months, my poem went from just that, to a beautifully illustrated children's book.
I showed a flipbook of it (before it was actually in print) to my great-grands, Daniel and Samantha, and they thought it was neat that nanny had written a book. I sent a print copy to another great-grand, Zayleigh, in Tennessee and she loved it as well. I'm still waiting for my author copies to arrive so that I can send some to my great-grands in England, and the niece whose need started it all.
It's available through Amazon and various other outlets. I am just so thrilled!
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