Happy (early) 80th, Patricia Coombs! ("Dorrie" witch series)
leno...@yahoo.com
She wrote 20 books about the little witch, Dorrie (the last one was in
1992) whose "hat is always on crooked and her stockings never
match". One of my favorites is "Dorrie & the Blue Witch."
http://dorrie.jdfiles.org/index.html
(more on the Dorrie books)
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/html/research/findaids/coombsp.htm
(Coombs' papers/archives)
Excerpt: Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults:
In an essay for the Fifth Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators,
Coombs explained why she created a magical heroine: "I had always loved
witches... and in a witch story anything can happen, and their
wardrobes never go out of style--a great advantage to an amateur
artist.... (Dorrie is) a small witch dealing with all the familiar
domestic problems children face."
Excerpt from "Contemporary Authors":
According to Coombs, young readers can readily relate to Dorrie because
she shares their problems, fears, and perspective. "Dorrie is funny,"
the author once remarked, "and she is coping. She is not an exaggerated
heroine, she simply deals with her fears, and that is what makes her so
appealing to children."
JUVENILE; SELF-ILLUSTRATED
The Lost Playground, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1963.
Waddy and His Brother, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1963.
Lisa and the Grompet, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1970.
Mouse Café, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1972.
Molly Mullett, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1975.
The Magic Pot, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1977.
Tilabel, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1978.
The Magician and McTree, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1984.
ILLUSTRATOR
Shelagh Williamson, Pepi's Bell, Singer, 1961.
Noel B. Gerson, P. J., My Friend, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1969.
Gladys Yessayan Cretan, Lobo, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1969.
G. Y. Cretan, Lobo and Brewster, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1971.
Alice Schertle, Bill and the Google-Eyed Goblins, Lothrop (New York,
NY), 1987
Lenona.
leno...@yahoo.com
On the back cover of "Dorrie & the Blue Witch":
"....a nice blend of humanity in her brew of witchery....Dorrie, an
endearing young witch with a turned-up nose, not only has Lord
Fauntleroy's manners, but is also a child of 'infinite resource and
sagacity.' "
-The Christian Science Monitor
Lenona.
Cori
Cori