Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic

by Kara LaReau, Ariane Moreira (Illustrator)

Overview

"Blue helps their mother's magical bakery by delivering baked goods all over town while helping her neighbors solve different kinds of problems"--

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798217025855
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Series:	Witchycakes: A Stepping Stone Book (TM) , #1
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	5.19(w) x 7.62(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

KARA LaREAU is a former editor and award-winning author. Among other celebrated titles, she edited Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie (winner of a Newbery Honor), The Tiger Rising (finalist for the National Book Award), The Tale of Despereaux (winner of the Newbery Medal), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (winner of the Boston Globe Horn Book Award), and the Mercy Watson series. She is also the author of the Geisel-award-winning chapter book series, The Infamous Ratsos, along with many other subversive, silly, and fun books for kids. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband, their kid, and a cat.

ARIANE MOREIRA is a Brazilian illustrator currently based in Germany. Painting digitally, her inspiration comes from fantasy and nature, as she is always aiming to create whimsical and colorful illustrations with those elements. Ariane can be often found playing indie video games, petting her cat Sol, or looking for an excuse to run away to the sea.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Baking, magic, and compassion are the main ingredients of this gentle early chapter book series." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"With its themes of kindness, helping others, and community, Witchycakes is a perfect read for children who love magical stories with a sweet twist." —Booklist

"A charmingly cozy fantasy helmed by an endearing queer protagonist." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2025-05-30
In the seaside town of Shellville, a blue-haired witch in training and bakery employee makes delicious deliveries.

At Witchycakes, Mama Moon whips up beachy treats, from sandy-witch bread to raspberry sandbars. Accompanied by a sea gull familiar named Gully, tan-skinned Blue, who usesthey/them pronouns, ferries their mother’s wares all over town. Along the way, Blue attempts to use magic to help the customers they encounter: a young boy who’s afraid to tell his two dads that he’s lost his guinea pig, a mother run ragged by her four kids, and a grocer mourning his beloved dog. But magic often causes more problems than it solves. Though Blue makes frequent mistakes, they quickly pivot to new solutions, offering young readers a welcome lesson in resilience. LaReau has created an idyllic, homey world populated by warm, neighborly characters who encourage Blue’s growth each step of the way. The witchy protagonist, gently told story, and sleepy, small-town setting feel heavily inspired byKiki’s Delivery Service; its fans are likely to be thrilled with this new series, while young readers will hopefully find a natural path to the original book and anime film. Aspiring chefs will enjoy the appended kid-friendly, no-bake recipe for Mama Moon’s Beach Crumble. Moreira relies on a palette of muted earth tones and teals, pairing nicely with the seaside setting and effectively portraying a diverse cast.

A charmingly cozy fantasy helmed by an endearing queer protagonist.(Chapter book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews