Isabel wasn't like other witches. She had twinkling blue eyes and curly blond hair, her black cat was more of a kitten, and (worst of all) she simply couldn't get her spells to produce suitably nasty results! No matter how hard she concentrated, she always ended up with something depressingly pleasant, turning a bat into a cat, a snake into a chocolate cake, and a bug into "something huggable." Worried that she would prove a disgrace to her family, Isabel dreaded the upcoming Halloween Witches' Convention, in which she would be required to demonstrate her magic, in a competition for the scariest spell...

An early picture-book from prolific children's author and editor Jane Yolen - I understand, from the dust-jacket flap, that it was only her third book! - The Witch Who Wasn't was first published in 1964, and features a sweetly out-of-step young witch who discovers that being different isn't so bad. The artwork, done by Arnold Roth - who also illustrated the sequel, Isabel's Noel - is quite humorous, and has a certain vintage charm. Recommended to young readers who enjoy witchy fare! ( )