Spelling Lesson! Clever Little Witch by Muen Thj Van

Linh is the island's cleverest little witch. She's got all the right stuff--a trusty flying broom, a book of magical spells, and the right familiar--a magical pet to help her!

But she's got something else that is not a magical asset:

A BABY BROTHER!

In case you don't know, a baby brother is trouble. He tries to ride your broom, boo-hooing when he crashes and gets a boo-boo! He chews the pages from your spell book and spits them up.

Linh tries giving him away.

I OFFERED BABY PHU TO THE TROLL BENEATH THE BRIDGE, BUT HE SAID "THANKS, BUT NO THANKS!"

The Forest Fairy can't deal with dirty diapers. The Orphanage sends him back for keeping all the little werewolves awake!

So Linh decides to turn him into something less annoying than a baby brother--a gold fish! He's already eaten half of the page with the spell for turning brothers into goldfish, but Linh figures she can wing the rest.

FROM THE TIP OF YOUR NOSE
TO THE TOP OF YOUR TOES,
BUBBLE EYES, MARBLE SIZE,
LET ME SEE THOSE FISHY EYES!

Her spell works--sort of. First her baby brother becomes a hoppy frog, and then clumsy seal. The third try is the worst of all.

HE BECAME A DRAGON!

Dragons are WAY more trouble than baby brothers, as Linh learns in Clever Little Witch (Margaret K. Elderberry Books, 2019), and Linh decides that she's going to have to give her spelling tests a rest and let her baby brother grow up the usual way. Artist Yum Hyewon's little witch is endearing as well as daring, and her baby brother manages to be adorable, even as a dragon, making this brother-sister duo a engaging pair without a scare for spooky season reading. As Kirkus Reviews says, "A charming take on sibling rivalry."