The Witching Hour

The Witching Hour by Jennifer Harris and Adelina Lirius is a clever story about that fussy time of the evening, even in a witch’s household.

It’s the witching hour and every day at the same time, no matter what happens, big or small, the witching hour begins. The witches try everything to try and soothe the little baby but it is not until the moon has its say that the baby finally comes to rest.

Parents are incredibly familiar with the witching hour. Desperate attempts to soothe a fussy baby are a part of the daily routine. Jennifer Harris has written a story to explain the witching hour to older siblings who may not realize what is happening. Why is their little sibling so loud and angry in the evening every time? This story can also invite them to be helpers and aid their parents in the calming process. 

I love the cleverness of this story by making the witches be the parents of a little baby experiencing the witching hour. It’s a lovely play on words and creates a wonderful story to be shared in the fall when the witches and ghouls are out in full force.

The illustrations by Adelina Lirius are inclusive and so beautiful. Adelina Lirius fills the spreads with a ton of detail and adult readers will quickly recognize faces of the witchy mothers becoming increasingly more frazzled as the evening wears on. It’s such a wonderful encapsulation of a day in the life with a little whimsy by adding in fantasy elements.