We are currently booking tour dates for the opera in 2022. Please get in touch for details: [email protected]

The story may be 75 years old now, but the style shouldn't put off readers/listeners, the language is readable and moves along nicely. Gobbolino and his magic bring a quirkiness of their own to the story. I was glad to finally discover this one. There’s a whole series of Winnie books with nice big colourful illustrations which make them great for reading to two to five year olds.Although his mother Grimalkin and sister Sootica are both witch's cats, Gobbolino longs to be a kitchen cat instead, to be loved rather than feared. Abandoned by his mother and her witch because his "abnormal" white paw and blue eyes makes him unsuitable as a witch's cat, Gobbolino sets off to find a loving home. In a series of adventures, our hero continually finds what appear to be ideal homes, only to be turned out again when his parentage is revealed, or the circumstances of his human companions change. My top tip for parents reading to younger children is to give your story-telling skills full rein and skim just a tiny bit where necessary. This is a wonderful first chapter book for children. Each chapter tells a separate instalment in Gobbolino’s journey and ends with a cliff hanger that keeps the reader wanting more.

Of course I have left out the Harry Potter series from this roundup, which might be a little remiss, as Hermione is truly a great witch. However, I have an admission. We’ve seen all the films, but it’s only my husband who has read the books.Here’s a roundup of some of the story books with witches that we’ve read and loved over the last few years.