2022, Juvenile Fiction
WISE Score
A kid convinced her new babysitter is a witch goes on a high-alert hunt for black cats and broomsticks in this vibrant, Spanglish-filled Halloween romp.
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This is a seasonal win that deserves a spot on the shelf every October. It takes the very real stress of a new babysitter and turns it into a game of imaginative detective work.
What makes it stand out is the Spanglish. It doesn't treat the Spanish words like a vocabulary lesson; it treats them like a normal part of the world. It's a smart, colorful, and genuinely funny look at how kids process the unknown by turning it into a story.
Perfect for the 3-to-7 crowd. It's a great read-aloud for preschoolers who love the 'is she or isn't she' mystery, and the text is simple enough for early elementary students to tackle.
It models a healthy transition from anxiety about a new caregiver to a fun, imaginative friendship. The relationship between the child and the 'bruja' is sweet and respectful.
The entire plot hinges on the protagonist's active imagination, reinterpreting ordinary objects (a suitcase, a cat, a hat) through the lens of folklore and magic.
A very safe picture book. While it plays with 'spooky' themes, it stays firmly in the realm of playful mystery and ends on a cozy, secure note.
Excellent for building language comprehension strands of literacy. It weaves Spanish vocabulary into the English text seamlessly, teaching through context rather than a dry glossary.
One of the best things about If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja is how it treats the reader's intelligence. It doesn't stop the story to define every Spanish word. Instead, it relies on the illustrations and the flow of the sentence to let the kid figure it out. When the protagonist looks for a sombrero, she's looking at a hat. When she's worried about a gato, there's a cat on the page. This is exactly how the 'language comprehension' strand of literacy is built—using background knowledge and visual cues to expand vocabulary.
For kids who get clingy when the parents head out for date night, this book is a useful tool. It validates the 'be wary' feeling of a new person entering their space but quickly flips the script. The babysitter isn't a villain; she's a potential partner in play. By the time they're making 'potions' together, the fear has evaporated. It’s a great example of how to use a seasonal theme (Halloween) to address a year-round social-emotional hurdle.
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