Reviewed by inlibrisveritas on
As with book one, this has several small stories in it that each deal with a situation that goes a bit haywire and it’s up to Ella and her magic wielding mother to fix it. While I do find these to be a bit formulaic in style and a bit too cutesy, I think it’s a fun little series with a lot of heart. I really wish her mother were a bit more capable in her abilities and a little less impulsive, but I appreciate that she isn’t painted as a perfect person as so many adults are in children’s lit. As an adult, I personally find the parents’ relationship exhausting and frustrating, simply because it seems like neither listens to the other and there is a lot of exasperation coming across. However I think the stories themselves are really cute, and I loved that we got to see more of Ella’s other family like her aunt and grandmother.
Ella is a lovely main character. She’s got enough energy to keep up with her mom’s somewhat disastrous ideas and she’s sharp enough to pick up on things in order to help fix those messes. I love that she still looks up to and adores her mother even as her mother is causing a natural disaster in their own home.
It also has some incredibly cute illustrations that fit the story and really continue that light heart feel.
I think this is a series that will definitely be a hit with the early chapter book readers, who like adorable little stories full of magic and family.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 30 December, 2018: Finished reading
- 30 December, 2018: Reviewed