When a wicked witch steals all of the laughter from the people of Pleasantville, leaving them with only gloom and anger, it falls to young Rowena—the only one who remembers what laughter is—to win back her village's joy. Setting out into the woods in search of the witch's house, Rowena is aided in her quest by a kind fairy, eventually finding and grabbing hold of the witch, holding on through many transformations, until her wish is finally granted...

Published in 1975, I Can Read About Witches was part of Troll Associates' long-running I Can Read About... series, offering simple stories for beginning readers. Some of these books remained in print well into the early 2000s, although this one seems to have slipped into relative obscurity. I added it to my shelves after discovering it on a list of witchy picture-books, which are a pet project of mine, and I am glad to have tracked it down, for that reason. The narrative from author Robyn Supraner, who appears to have contributed many other volumes to the series, reminded me of a folktale, particularly the scenes in which Rowena holds onto the witch, no matter what shape she takes. Although there were no surprises, and although I suspect my fondness for witchy tales was a factor, I did find the story here moderately engaging. That being said, the accompanying artwork from Frank Brugos, done in black, gray and a blueish-green, were not really to my taste. I liked a few of the depictions of the witch (naturally), but overall the style here was a little too cartoonish for me.

All in all, this isn't a book I strongly recommend, although readers interested in vintage picture-book styles, or in witchy fare, might want to give it a try, if they happen upon a copy. ( )

A simple story about a witch who steals the laughter of Pleasantville and how a little girl named Rowena is able to get the laughter back. The illustrations are gray, black, and teal and look like pencil drawings. ( )