[.ca] Heckedy Peg (ISBN 0152336788)

good but upsetting to me later in life:
I read this book as a child and liked it a lot; I still think it's an entertaining story with beautiful pictures. However, it is one of many stories about a witch, in this case a devalued version of the ancient Greek goddess Hecate. This just saddens me a bit because children tend to be exposed to few stories about positive interpretations of ancient goddesses from the before-Christ era, so I recommend that parents look into providing a more balanced repertoire.

Terrifying to my daughter at age 4!:
My eldest was terrified by this book when she was 4- I don't blame her!- but started to like it a couple of years later. The storyline is dark as are the illustrations, but they're also well rendered. There are many obvious messages in the story- the mother leaves the children alone with explicit directions, which they disregard to their detriment! The witch is portrayed as the post-Pagan era Evil Witch, and not a positive Healing Witch. Even worse, she wants to eat the children. Yikes! The Mother though, is able to Save Her Children because she loves and understands them well and pays attention to their needs. My daughter's fears stemmed largely (I believe) from her fear of bad things happening to young children. If your child feels that way, this might be a scary book for her. My younger daughter never disliked the story though, but she has a different kind of analytical mind and probably didnt' suspend reality to allow the children to turn to food. :-)

My favorite children's book ever!!:
This is a wonderful, beautifully illustrated book that has delighted me for ages! The story is about a mother and her seven children (each named for a day of the week) and the witch Heggedy Peg. On the day the mother goes out she asks the children what they want; she then leaves warning not to admit or give light to anyone. While she is gone Heggedy Peg comes and tricks the children into giving her a light for her pipe - and she turns them all into food. It is then up to their mother to turn them back into humans by naming each dish the right child. The pictures in this book are absolutely charming! Definitely worth buying!

My Family's Favorite Childrens Book:
I discovered the Woods with "The Mouse, Strawberry and Big Black Bear" and sought out more. When they were very young, my boys and I loved the books as much for the illustrations as the text. And then we found "Heckedy Peg" at the library. My gosh. Granted, this story is not for every child - it could be viewed as quite scary. But at 2 and 5, my boys couldn't get enough (especially the 2 yr. old!). Examine the illustrations to add to the text of the book. Look for the blackbird in nearly every picture. Notice the "pie boy's" shirt before and after his rescue - after the witch has taken a "lick" of the pie, and too many more to mention. I bought a book to set aside for my grandchildren and one for each of my boys to read to their own kids when that time comes. My 2 year old, now 15, still sits down to read it now and then and we still discuss the illustrations. And there are some very good lessons to be learned, too (WHY you don't talk to strangers!) and the Mother is a real hero.

AMAZING!:
I LOVED this book as a child and have been searching for it for almost a year! I would ask people if they had ever heard of it and everyone would give me funny looks, but once you read it, you will understand! The illustrations definetely make the book!