An adventure album, in which Sophie, a tiny mouse, tries to establish herself on the witchcraft job market.
It’s never easy to start out as a freelancer, to build up a clientele, and all that. And certainly not when you’re a witch mouse, only 9 centimeters tall, with an overwhelming desire to do well, certainly, but still not the powers of experienced or 1.70m tall colleagues. It’s therefore with little confidence that Sophie, who has just graduated from the International School of Witches with the encouragement of the class council, places her plaque at the foot of a majestic old oak tree in a mysterious forest – since that’s always where witches are supposed to settle.
At first, everything is under control. The neo-practitioner specializing in green bean rains manages to manage the small problems with her little powers. A skunk who can’t stand not being invited to birthdays? Sophie whips out a magic lavender-scented tree for him. A elf who has a complex because of his big teeth? Bang, the witch makes him grow a thick mustache.
But one day, three big kids knock on her little door, who have an even bigger problem than them: a couple of ogres. Since these two vulgar individuals have been kidnapping and eating the kids who hang around in the forest, they are forbidden to set foot outside and stay locked up in their house all day. They are counting on Sophie to get them out of this affair.
The mini-witch is in a real pickle. The problem is clearly too big for her modest powers. But after all, Mrs. Akoufène, the school principal, has always been clear: “You don’t refuse a mission when it’s requested politely.” And they are polite, these kids. Our heroine therefore accepts and, with courage in her sling, goes to the monstrous duo, he blue with breath like a full trash bag, she green with a voice like chalk on a blackboard, in order to cast a spell on them strong enough to prevent them from doing any harm forever. But when faced with big problems, her little powers can only do so much… Sophie will have to be inventive.
The Witch Mouse is a thrilling adventure that is both very cute (a tiny rodent with a pointy hat and green overalls, that can only be cute), funny (unable to be burdened with the traditional black cat as a magic partner, Sophie opts for a black spider, but one that meows and purrs) and full of suspense and twists. The chaptering allows you to pick a little each evening, but the risk is great “one more chapter, just one, siteuplè”, until the end.
The Witch Mouse by Rudy Spiessert, L’école des loisirs, 60 pp., €15. Ages 5 and up.
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