Maggie Sparks and the Monster Baby: 1 Paperback – Import, 18 November 2021

Little Maggie Sparks is a witch. She usually fizzes with magic but is in a worried state of mind at the start of the book. Reason? Her Mum and Dad are away to the hospital to fetch her a new baby brother. Her Grandpa Sparks and her pet chameleon, Bat, try to improve her mood but to no avail. When the new baby Alfie, is brought home, he is everything Maggie feared, and more. He looks “Yuck” (to use her own word), he cries and eats and poops and farts and burps all day long, and worse of all, he seems to get all the attention from her parents. Maggie is obviously upset about this change in status quo. Can she use her magic to bring things back to the way they were?This is one of those books that are only for kids and hold no charm for grown-up kids like me. The storyline is pretty straightforward and the laughs are exactly as expected. Bat the chameleon is amazing. He reminded me of Pascal from the Disney movie ‘Tangled’. Alfie is adorable. Maggie begins as a grumpy and selfish child (quite typical behaviour in case of having to deal with a new sibling) I was hoping that she redeems herself at the end but the change in her feelings is written very abruptly. There’s no remorse over her behaviour and no new fondness for her little brother. There are many things left unexplained, and I didn't like this factor.On the positive side, it was fabulous to see an inter-racial couple as Maggie’s parents. (Though the story doesn’t mention the race, the illustrations make it clear.) The graphics accompanying the story are amazing and easily my favourite part of the book.Overall, it’s a cute story and children will certainly enjoy the magical bits. Recommended for little readers aged 4 and above. It will have to read aloud to the younger lot but as the story includes many onomatopoeic effects, the read-alouds are sure to be fun!3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book at my request and these are my honest thoughts about it.