4 out of 4 stars
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Suzie Sparkle and the Bewitched Picture by Steve Moran is the next book in a series that follows the adventures of the title character, Suzie. While on a class trip to Sparkell Mansion, Suzie notices that one of the paintings is of a girl that looks an awful lot like her! Not only that, the girl in the painting keeps making faces and sticking her tongue out at Suzie, though somehow her classmates and teacher don’t seem to notice. By mistake, Suzie mutters the words, “I would like to change places with her. I would be fun,” and suddenly she finds herself lifted up off the ground and into the painting. There she learns that girl in the painting is none other than her ancestor, Lady Susan Sparkell, who is an evil witch that has waited many, many years for a female descendent with whom to switch places and escape from her painting.
Using her evil magic powers, Lady Susan leaps out of the painting, imprisoning Suzie in her place while Lady Susan pretends to be Suzie. Wanting nothing more than to put Lady Susan back in her place, Suzie visits other paintings and their inhabitants – all of which happen to be her ancestors – to plot her escape. Once their plan is in motion, they quickly find themselves in a battle of wits with a worth foe.
I generally enjoy children’s books that have a little action and adventure, and Suzie Sparkle and the Bewitched Picture absolutely fit the bill. I also enjoyed that it sprinkled in some humor for the adults that would be reading these books to their children with the addition of literary or historical characters, such as Sir Isaac Sparkell, Sherlock Sparkell, and Morgana le Fay, or other “punny” names, such as Inspector Norton and Inspector McAfee, who look after security.
Like most children’s stories, this one had a moral, and it’s an important one: to be happy with who you are. If it weren’t for Suzie’s desire to be rich and pampered, she never would’ve found herself in such a mess. This is an important lesson for all children to learn at an early age, and I liked the way in which it was incorporated into the story.
At only 131 pages, the book was a very quick and engaging read. Suzie is a character that many children can relate to, and this makes it incredibly easy to root for her and hope that she can best Lady Susan. The way in which the story unfolds is clever as well, and as such I rate it a 4 out of 4 stars. Knowing that there are other books in this series excites me, and I look forward to reading them in the future.
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Suzie Sparkle and the Bewitched Picture
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