
In the deep, dark forest, beavers boogie and trees harmonize off-key, for Amanda the witch is up to her old wand-waving tricks! But when she offers to grant a grumpy toad three wishes, the result is near-disaster. The toad wants to trade places with Amanda so he can have some spell-casting fun - and he has lots of magical pranks he can't wait to play. Will the forest now be forever populated by purple rabbits, flower-antlered deer, and tiny bears? Don't bet on it! Amanda may be only a frumpy toad, but she still has a few tricks under her hat.
With whimsical humor and wacky illustrations, John Himmelman has created an entertaining tale sure to cast a spell of laughter.
Amanda and the Witch Switch was first published in 1985 by Viking Kestrel. The idea for the story came from a sketch I once did, while sitting on a rock in the woods. It depicted a witch, contemplating… something – I didn’t know what at the time, while looking at a toad held in her hand. I had come across the sketch a few years later and answered that something question, which became this book.
Look for the ladybug in several of the pictures. It was the beginning of me adding a little something to look for in books that followed.
Publishers Weekly: “In this funny, brightly illustrated tale, Himmelman’s troublemaking witch Amanda grants a toad three wishes, but never expects him to use them so creatively. Ages 3-8.”

Original sketch from sketchbook - early '80s.
1987 sequel - Amanda and the Magic Garden coming soon!

A few sample pages -





