Horn Book Review
The intergenerational duo from Hubble Bubble, Granny Trouble returns for another romp in which the younger still wishes her witch grandmother would be "a little less peculiar," especially as the girl's birthday rolls around. Granny obliges, helping with party details sans "Helping Kit" (spell book)--until clean-up time. Berger's illustrations add humor and pizzazz to a story told in spunky rhymes. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Granny sure knows how to cast a spell, but her granddaughter, who narrates, just wants to spend time getting ready for her upcoming birthday party without using the special "Helping Kit." Readers may think it would be cool to have a grandmother who is a witch, but Granny's magic tricks frequently yield unexpected and somewhat disastrous results: A bad-hair-day fix leaves the granddaughter with a hot pink bouffant do, for instance. So Granny agrees to help bake a cake from scratch and sew together a new dress from some "foundstrips of red." Kids will snicker at the ramshackle results, but the granddaughter could not be happier with the less-than-perfect preparations since all has been "made with tons of love." The guests arrive, and everyone has fun. But afterward, Granny and her granddaughter are left with a colossal mess. Granny comes to the rescue with a "Whizz! Pop!" that thoroughly cleans everything up just in time for one last birthday gift. The final spread dramatically differs from the dominant pastel pinks, blues and grays that have come before to show a fireworks "Happy Birthday" message brightly popping against the black night sky. Corderoy and Berger have concocted a splendid follow-up (Hubble, Bubble, Granny Trouble, 2012) full of gentle humor spotlighting the special relationship between grandmothers and granddaughters. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Our bespectacled little narrator loves her grandmother, a helpful person who wants to please but whose ability to perform magic makes her stand out from her peers. Granny and granddaughter agree to prepare for the child's birthday party magic-free, resulting in a lopsided cake, muddy face painting, and in spite of it all a good time for the birthday girl and guests. Of course, come cleanup time, some magic is welcome. Especially when depicting effervescent Granny, Berger's pen-and-ink cartoons whiz and pop with colorful digital washes, showing a diverse cast of kids and some fantastical details, such as the mansard-roofed mansion used as a rabbit hutch. The rhyming text is expertly cadenced to show both Granny's energy and her granddaughter's more timid approach to making changes. A good storytime companion to Janet Lord and Julie Paschkis' Here Comes Grandma! (2005) and for younger fans of Deborah Hautzig's Little Witch series.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2010 Booklist
