Tilly’s First Spell

By Mary Anastasiou & Giorgia Clerico

Five Mile Press 2026

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

Just in time for Halloween is another adventure featuring Tilly and Sootie, first encountered in Tilly’s New Broom. In Tilly’s First Spell, the little witch Tilly is keen to try out her magic but when she casts her first spell everything goes wrong! She’s studied for weeks and practised but when she tries to make her cat’s whiskers ‘glossy and thick’ mayhem occurs.

 

With bold colourful art this tale of things gone wrong is lighthearted and undemanding, aimed at amusing young readers. Cartoon style illustration exaggerate the zany action for maximum humour. Told in rhyming couplets the story zooms along to its satisfying finish.

A nice touch are the back endpapers which provide some information on the creators’ backgrounds.

For ages 3+