The Widow's Broom

by Chris Van Allsburg (Author)

The Widow's Broom
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

A 25th anniversary edition of the enchanting story of a widow who finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom after a witch falls into her garden.

Some of Minna Shaw's neighbors don't trust her clever broom. "It's dangerous," they say. But Minna appreciates the broom's help. She enjoys its quiet company. But one day two children get taught a well-deserved lesson by the broom. For her neighbors, this is proof of the broom's evil spirit. Minna is obligated to give up her dear companion.

Chris Van Allsburg, master of the mysterious, brings this tale to life with moody and memorable pictures that will haunt readers long after the book's covers are closed--now in a new edition to celebrate this beloved book's twenty-fifth anniversary.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

School Library Journal

This story combines trickery and magic with witches, brooms, an old widow, and her jealous neighbors. A witch leaves her errant broom in Minna Shaw's garden and, true to its nature, it sweeps and sweeps and sweeps until the woman in desperation, teaches it to chop wood, fetch water, bring the cow from the pasture, feed the chickens, and even to play the piano. All runs smoothly until the Spiveys who live down the road discover this wonderful object and insist it must be evil. After an encounter with the Spivey children in which the broom punishes them for their misbehavior, the enraged father comes to seize the offender and destroy it. But the widow outsmarts the man, and she and her broom live happily ever after. The sepia toned pencil illustrations have a grainy quality that gives the sense of moody mystery while adding texture and detail to the tangibles of village life. The positioning of figures, the sweep of lines, and the angles and tones used to capture characters and events have a haunting sense reminiscent of Van Allsburg's early work. He does not overemphasize the message that the special powers of the unknown need not be evil; rather a delicious humor is subtly portrayed through both text and art. This story leaves readers and listeners with the satisfaction of a well-told tale and, although not strictly for Halloween, may turn out to be as much a part of that holiday as Polar Express (Houghton, 1985) is of Christmas.

Copyright 1992 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

When Minna Shaw comes into possession of a witch's broom, it is as if good fortune itself has dropped from the sky. The broom sweeps on its own and does other chores; it can even pick out simple tunes on the piano. The widow's ignorant neighbors hate and torment the implement, though, fearing what they cannot understand; but in the end the widow and her broom triumph. This resonant tale, one of its gifted author/illustrator's most impressive efforts, effectively draws on mystery and whimsy alike--both human nature and the supernatural are powerful forces here. Van Allsburg's grainy, sepiatone illustrations variously evoke brooding, suspicion, grandeur, humor and serenity. Many individual pictures are haunting--amid a tangle of squash vines, for example, lies the fallen witch, with only one of her hands visible--and in composite they reverberate powerfully indeed. The narrative's subtle conclusion will evoke pleasurable shudders, as readers (gradually, perhaps) become aware of what has transpired. Both visually and narratively, a provocative and altogether satisfying work. 

Copyright 1992 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Kirkus

Starred Review

One of Van Allaburg's best: an intriguing, well-told tale with elegantly structured art, resonant with significance and lightened with sly humor.

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review

Van Allsburg explores the nature of good and evil in this unearthly tale of a witch's broom that has fallen from the sky with its witch still on it . . . Enchanting.

Review quotes



Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781328470195
Lexile Measure
710
Guided Reading Level
Q
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
August 28, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV022000 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, & Fables | General
JUV024000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | Country Life
JUV017030 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Halloween
Library of Congress categories
-
ALA Notable Children's Books, 1995

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!