Witch & Wombat

When the pet shop runs out of black cats, Wilma, a pigtailed young witch portrayed with tan skin, is stuck with a wombat, which causes her to stick out like a sore thumb among her witchy peers, shown with various skin tones. Wombat tolerates wearing a kitty-ear headband, but on every other account— as Wilma makes painfully clear with her disappointment—the critter isn’t the hoped-for familiar. When Wombat disappears, Wilma discovers the animal burrowed deep in the earth, reading Finding Your Inner Feline and attempting to become the cat that Wilma wants. The witch realizes the folly—and unfairness—of trying to “make you into something you’re not,” embraces Wombat’s wombat-ness, and discovers that the duo’s social clout actually increases. Belote’s digitally rendered vignettes bring to mind classic comedy animation throughout this lesson about overcoming bias and leaning into possibility. Ages 3–7. (July)