It's just a lovely for witches by witches affirmation of what it means to be a witch. There is minimal color, mostly greys, white, black and very muted reds, blues and greens. The illustrations by the Tin Can Forest duo are both whimsical and eerie, which is perfect for Grossman's poetic lesson in what witches really are. This picture book is definitely not for children, but teens may really enjoy it especially if they like artsy graphic novels and are interested in witches or the occult. I briefly flipped through and saw what it was about and am so pleased. I picked it up because the black cover seemed to call to me with its wispy font and owls, which I saw first, and then the woman and the title itself. This beautiful book was an impulse buy at The Alchemist's Kitchen in NYC. This is magic, after all, and we are witches. If you feel yourself similarly compelled, don’t fight it. I felt it rise within myself, something fierce and surprising and nearly frightening in its power. I engaged with its mesmerizing imagery and the poetic spell it cast, and immediately it awoke something within me. The book’s lyrical language of night-song and half-rhymes, when given voice (and it absolutely must be read aloud), becomes a wild, witty, wondrous invocation, threaded throughout with fanciful visions, whimsical allegory, and magical truths. Each page is a multi-layered marvel, interwoven with secretive symbolism, esoteric emblems, and magical motifs. Illustrated in Tin Can Forest’s distinctive style, drawing inspiration from the forests of Canada, Slavic art, and occult folklore, the mood is one of fantastical half-lit glooms populated by witches and their surreal familiars, as well as their uncanny sistren who guide us along and narrate our journey.

What Is A Witch by Tin Can Forest and Pam Grossman is equal parts storybook, grimoire, comic book, and illuminated manuscript, and explores the many guises and archetypes of the witch–that ultimate icon of feminine power.

Pam grossman what is a witch