Potion commotion by Rebecca Grant & Niña Nill

In rhyming lines, the funny story is of a little wizard trying out a new spell, causing quite a commotion. Nell has chanted her spell over the mixture in the pot, and has help from the dragon who breathes fire on the mixture. This results in a large bubble evolving, one that grows larger taking in all about it.

All of this fun is told in the form which adds a new line to the growing list of things happening, starting with, ‘Nell charted a spell’. Readers will love adding the lines as each page is turned, knowing that it all starts with Nell.

Rather like, ‘There was an old woman who swallowed a fly’, the format of the poem will captivate readers. They will predict what the lines will be, and call out the lines as it is read, and learn some of the lines to add to the reading fun. 

The illustrations perfectly parallel the story, with lots of stars and bubbles on each page as the bubble created gets bigger and bigger and vacuums up all that is in its way including Nell and the dragon. The images of the bubble stuffed full with people and animals, even a giant, last until Nell uses her wand, and they all fall out. The pages are covered with the mess of things tumbling together as the bubble bursts, asking readers to identify each participant.

Nell is endearing, the dragon cute and the huge bubble somewhat scary, but all comes right in the end, topped off with a recipe for bubble making, if you dare.

Themes: Humour, Wizards, Spells, Dragons.

Fran Knight