First Broom

There is a first time for everything, and one little witch gets her wish: a new broom. The BIPOC child in her pink boots, pink braids, and green witches’ hat, complete with flowers and streaming pink pom-poms, quickly hops on to fly, just like her friends. However, like any first time, it doesn’t go perfectly smoothly. To top it off, the broom has its own personality! After a few antics, they finally work out how to soar.

Entirely written in a 4-line rhyme scheme, starting each stanza with ‘Little broom’ (or occasionally ‘Little witch’), this poem has a children’s classic feel to it. The illustrations amplify the many emotions of the witch on her learning journey. Lovely watercolour spreads are simple yet expressive. Their indigo backgrounds echo the feel of the nighttime adventures that a First Broom would require!

Kallie George is an author, editor, and creative writing teacher living on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, near the sea, and she has a Master of Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia. She loves picture books, fairy tales, beautiful art and music, and baking cookies.

Joelle Murray, the illustrator, is an artist passionate about character design and illustration for mediums such as film, games, books, and comics. She also loves dance, which is quite evident in this book. She also acts as the illustrator on the Khan Academy Kids app.