The Friendly Witch by Rachel Elliot and Leo Broadley (Meadowside Children's Books)

It's a lonely life sometimes, being a witch. Sure you might have a houseful of cats, bats and possibly even rats but they're not much fun when it's your birthday and you'd really like a few friends to come round and enjoy tea and cake.

As the saying goes though, be careful what you wish for - or in this case "be careful what you conjure up" as "The Friendly Witch" waves her wand and is inundated with visitors, plucked from the pages of your favourite fairy stories and nursery rhymes.

Mary (quite contrary) is a little bit critical of the witch's garden (no silver bells, cockle shells, DAHHHLING we must talk!). Humpty bores on about accident claims insurance. As for the gingerbread man, well he won't even stay put for five seconds so the witch can enjoy nibbling his toes.

Soon the house is filled with a whole host of rather unwelcome folk so the poor witch decides there's only one thing for it! With a wave of her wand she makes them all disappear again.

BUT it is her birthday and she still has cake to eat - and was all the fuss and kerfuffle (my new word of the day) really all that bad?

We've seen a lot of witchy books but we loved "The Friendly Witch" purely because she's such a loveable old soul - and it was a huge amount of fun picking out and spotting all the storybook characters who pop by. So when it's your birthday and you get a little bit grumpy when your house is trashed and your guests eat all your food, it could really be a lot worse - I  mean who wants to clean up after Puff the Magic Dragon? Ew!

Charlotte's best bit: Bo-Peep (who really needs a trip to specsavers)

Daddy's favourite bit: Little Jack Horner's rather unsanitary eating habits. Use a spoon, boy!