Pongwiffy and the Pantomime by Kaye Umansky

September 2009, Bloomsbury
176 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Children's

Cushions: 1/5
Pencils: 4/5
Smiles: 5/5
Yunaleska's overall rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

My favourite witch with poor hygeine is back. Pongwiffy's coven funds are looking sorry for themselves. Somehow they end up agreeing to putting on a pantomime, and letting Pongwiffy create it!

I have to point out now, that although Pongwiffy has some input, it is her faithful familiar Hugo the hamster who is the true creative genius behind this. Only he can appease the desires of all the witches and put together a panto including, in the words of Pongwiffy

page 15: 'How do you come up with a storyline that has to include three princesses, an Egyptian dancing queen, a posh fairy, Lady Macbeth, a couple of lost babies, a rat exterminator, Dick Whittington, a fictional detective and a pantomime horse's bum?'

Creating the pantomime is only half the problem. Thankfully the venue isn't a problem. The costumes prove rather interesting to acquire. It would have gone smoothly if the delivery hadn't encountered the goblins, Ronald the wizard who was practicing an invisibility spell in secret and Pongwiffy who somehow ended up in the mayhem which follows.

The audience wasn't restricted to just witches (since they were putting on the play) - everyone, including skeletons and the wizards, much to poor Ronald's embarrassment got invited. They don't mind when the play doesn't go to plan, they take it all in good stride. Just like the actresses themselves.

This is the type of book to read if you need a laugh - I struggled to keep quiet while my family watched television as I read this installment in the Pongwiffy series.

Kaye Umansky's website is here.

Liked this? Have you tried Pongwiffy and the Holiday of Doom?