The Book Witch, the Wee White Dog & the Little Free Library by Lana Shupe

The Book Witch, the Wee White Dog & the Little Free Library by Lana Shupe is an unforgettable and adorable children’s picture book about an aging Witch, and her wee white dog, who spent a lifetime travelling around the world on her broom, visiting bookshops and collecting books. When travelling became too much for them, they stayed home to read the piles and piles of books they had accumulated, remembering all the wonderful bookshops they had visited. During one blustery summer day, the wind from an open window knocked one of the piles of books over and a large book fell on the wee white dog’s poor tail. This upset the Witch so much that she decided that the piles of books needed to go.

With a sorrowful look at that bandaged wee white tail, she declared… “These books must Go!”

After consulting her crystal ball, she comes up with a solution. She decides to build a Little Free Library to share her books with her community and slowly downsize all the piles and piles of books they have amassed.

This magical story will entertain kids, their achy-back parents, and grandparents equally. It is a magical and fun read-aloud with a possible field trip to a local Little Free Library to discover new stories when finished.

The Book Witch and the Wee White Dog had chosen lots of books from their teeter-tottering piles to put in their little library.

It is fitting to have a nice long name for a book about the World’s largest book-sharing movement. Little Free Libraries (LFLs) is a topic near and dear to my heart. I have been filling numerous LFLs across Nova Scotia, on behalf of Dartmouth Book Exchange, the store I manage, since 2017. If you open my car’s trunk, you will always find a bag or two of books destined for LFLs.

In the back of her book, Lana Shupe includes a bit of the history of LFLs, a worldwide non-profit organization, and a website for those who would like to learn more about getting involved and having their own LFL. She also includes the history of a LFL that she helped to establish in her community to help promote the love of reading.

I would love to see The Book Witch and the Wee White Dog become a series. Despite her aches and pains, the Book Witch has a lot more life and adventures in her.

Tegan Thomas did an amazing job illustrating this book. I can’t express just how darn cute the pictures are. The Book Witch, the Wee White Dog & the Little Free Library will adorn my bookcase, face-out, so that I can admire it and smile at its cover. I’m sure children will also enjoy the attractive, lively and colourful pictures as much as I did. There is much to discuss about each illustration which conveys the words on the pages wonderfully. On each page, the illustrator includes a hidden character that children can look for while reading, creating even more fun and discussion.

This book is a wonderful tribute to the Author’s Wee White Dog who crossed the rainbow bridge two years ago.

Lana Shupe fell in love with books when she was a toddler and has never stopped loving them. Telling and writing stories has always been a part of her life. Her house is full of books — even the bathroom has books! She reads anywhere she can find a spot while devouring potato chips that are entirely not good for her. Lana’s best little writing buddy, her Westie, Thunder, was by her side while she wrote this story.

Tegan Thomas is an illustrator and animator from Victoria, British Columbia. She has been working in the animation industry for ten years on projects such as My Little Pony- Friendship is Magic, Carmen Sandiego, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. She currently lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing (September 17, 2024)
Paperback 9″ x 10″ | 32 pages
ISBN: 9781774713075

Sue Slade

Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.