cover image Mrs. Tooey and the Terrible Toxic Tar

Mrs. Tooey and the Terrible Toxic Tar

Barbara Dillon. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, $10.95 (88pp) ISBN 978-0-397-32276-3

An eccentric babysitter, a stranger sent by the local agency, arrives to care for two children while their parents are out of town. Mrs. Tooey, the sitter, needs the children's help to save the town from an evil toxin that her disgruntled sister, a bad witch, intends to disperse. The main character is a comfy den-mother of a good witch who serves huge pieces of cake and gives fabulous presents. Nifty magic combines with courage and risk-taking on the part of the children, and good triumphs over evil. While somewhat lightweight, this story moves along at a good pace and maintains suspense. At the end of the book, Mrs. Tooey decides to do a little traveling; it looks like she and her bad sister will be back. Readers of this book are sure to welcome them. Ages 9-11. (June)