Ronda Armitage

When Josie is given a beautiful new witch's costume on her birthday, the young girl decides that she will cast a spell on her parents and on her older sister Nicky, who are always bossing her around. Although her efforts to make them disappear don't succeed, Josie persists with her magic, and eventually her baby brother Sam does vanish from sight. Has Josie banished him forever, or will Sam reappear in time for her big birthday dinner...?

Originally published in 1980 as The Bossing of Josie, Ronda and David Armitage's witchy tale was also released in 1981 as The Birthday Spell. The story, in which Josie believes that she can use magic to resolve family tensions, reminded me a bit of David Adler's I Know I'm a Witch, in which the protagonist attempts to change her aunt's behavior through potion-making. In both cases, the young would-be witch discovers that magic tricks do little to fix non-magical problems. In the Armitages' book however, the story ends, not with a reiteration of the protagonist's witchy identity, but with the happy family gathered together for her birthday celebration. I discovered The Bossing of Josie through a list of witchy picture-books, which are an pet project of mine, and although it was not exactly what I was expecting, I did find it to be a engaging slice-of-life family story. Recommended to children who believe that they are witches or wizards, or who feel bossed around by their families.… (mere)