Kate Hoefler

Aug 31, 2023 | booklistonline.com | Kate Hoefler

Illus. by Corinna Luyken. Aug. 2023. 40p. Knopf, $18.99 (9780593372838). PreS-Grade 3. REVIEW. First published August 2023 (Booklist). Fear and misperceptions keep villagers in the dark. With a unique and effective design, this haunting and atmospheric picture book opens vertically with dual narratives providing both sides of the story. The first voice at the top of the page is full of suspicion, apprehension, and alarm: “They came in the dark and took the narrow path that only witches used.

Aug 29, 2023 | kirkusreviews.com | Kate Hoefler |Suzy Kline |Deborah Zemke

A marvelous mix of autumnal spirits with a deeper call for understanding. Prejudice collides with neighborly goodwill when love and truth overcome superstition.   “They came in the dark and took the narrow path that only witches used. Everyone said that’s what they were.” A suspicious text laden with ill will and shadowy scratch-lined art full of foreboding imagery fills the top half of the page. On the bottom half, however, a different narrative takes place.