ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2003)

Two witches, longtime best friends at their school (their motto was Witches against Wickedness), vow to use their powers to make this world a better place. At graduation, however, the women feud, then go their separate ways until a dastardly villain tricks them into casting wicked spells for his benefit. The witches eventually draw together again and work to undo the magic they have done. The fast-moving plot, sympathetic characters, and moments of humor keep the story humming along to its satisfying conclusion. Hawkes' skillful, imaginative ink drawings add to the atmosphere and to the fun. Not a memorable fantasy, perhaps, but an enjoyable, light story that blends magic with everyday life in a way that children will find quite satisfying.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Daniel is a lonely, neglected boy. He becomes involved in helping an animal witch named Hecate Tenbury-Smith turn evil people into animals so they cannot do any more harm. Like Ibbotson's previous fantasies, this is an imaginative, very funny romp with a satisfying conclusion. Hawkes's black-and-white illustrations are entertaining.

Kirkus Reviews

Well-intentioned witches follow their hearts instead of their heads, with nearly disastrous results, in Ibbotson's latest caper. After a tiff drives them apart, two kindhearted, and previously inseparable, graduates of witch school set off to rid different towns of evildoers: Dora, by turning them to stone; Heckie (Hecate), by transforming them into zoo animals. Cottoning on to their abilities, slimy furrier Lionel Warthag contrives to woo both, planning to make a massive killing (in more ways than one) by tricking Heckie into turning the local prison's 300 inmates into highly marketable snow leopards. The author trots in her customary cast of caricatured adults and lively, intelligent children, presents a varied catalogue of criminals, including a ruthless chicken farmer and a racist demagogue, then brings her tale to a satisfying close with Warthag behind bars, and the witches friends again. Hawkes dresses the farce, previously published across the pond in 1989, with a cover and a stingy assortment of interior drawings. Not Ibbotson in top form, but sure to be snapped up by the legion of new fans she's gained in the Harry Potter interregnums. (Fiction. 10-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The author of <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Dial-a-Ghostand <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Which Witch? conjures more rib-tickling entertainment in this fantasy featuring a witch bent on saving the world from wickedness. After graduating from witch school and settling in the small town of Wellbridge as a pet shop owner, Heckie, an animal witch, begins her campaign to flush out evildoers and transform them into exotic beasts. With the help of a motley crew of other witches and wizards, three young human beings and her "dragworm" (her half-dragon-half-worm "familiar"), she successfully manages to change a cruel nursing home director into a "warthog with a greedy snout." She then goes on to turn an abusive chicken farmer into a rare fish. Trouble brews when one of the most ghastly men in town, Lionel Knacksap, a furrier, witnesses Heckie's power and hatches a plot to sweep Heckie off her feet with his charms and make a tidy profit along the way. Blinded by love and seduced by soft-center chocolates, Heckie nearly creates disaster when she agrees to supply her new beau with 300 snow leopards. Ibbotson again blends hilarious social commentary and classic themes of good overcoming evil into a potent recipe for fun. Hawkes's whimsical portrayals of offbeat heroes and deliciously despicable villains add to the merriment. Ages 8-12. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Aug.)

School Library Journal (Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

Gr 5-8 After 30 years at witch school, best friends Heckie and Dora plan to settle down in a small town, Do Good, and make the world a better place. But when they quarrel on graduation day, Heckie is left to carry on alone. She recruits a wacky bunch of helpers to form the Wellbridge Wickedness Hunters: three children, a dragworm familiar, a garden witch, a former witch beauty queen, a wizard hot-air-balloon enthusiast, and a wizard endeavoring to make a walking cheese. At first, all seems to go well. Heckie uses her power to turn humans into animals to rid the town of wicked people and supplement the animal population of the local zoo. However, her plans begin to go awry when she meets a slick furrier who wants to exploit her talents to obtain rare snow leopard pelts. Fans of Ibbotson's other humorous fantasies will be pleased to see more of the same here. The story moves at a satisfying pace and the characters provide just the right balance of silliness and sagacity, masking any moralizing with satire. The black-and-white illustrations add wit and fancy to the book. This light fantasy will not just bewitch, but will bring peals of laughter, too. Heather Dieffenbach, Lexington Public Library, KY