Customer Reviews

Bed-Knob and Broomstick

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So, having seen the Disney movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks, you know the whole story, right? Wrong! Being a fan of that movie, I picked up this book expecting some minor discrepancies, but was amazed to find a story that had practically nothing in common with the movie.

This is the story of Carey, Charles and Paul Wilson who, while staying with their aunt in Bedfordshire, suddenly discover that a neighbor, Miss Price is a witch! Not your stereotypical witch, Miss Price is a prim and proper lady who is willing to buy the children's silence with the gift of a magic bed knob that will allow the children to travel through space and time. Seeking to visit their mother, the children find themselves scooped up by the London police. Next, Miss Price takes them to an isolated tropical island, only to discover that cannibals inhabit the island. Their final adventure takes them to Restoration England, where they meet a forlorn (and inept) necromancer, Emelius Jones.

This story (actually two books combined into one) is quite charming. In a gentle and freewheeling fashion, Mary Norton draws the reader along on a fantastic adventure. This book is just right for the young reader, with a few nice illustrations, and a wonderful storyline.

My youngest granddaughter (9) asked for this book for Christmas along with the Video, she is currently reading it and it is giving her so much pleasure, that being the case it is worth every penny.

This book contains the two original children's stories and are the basis of the part animated disney film of the same name.
'The Magic Bed-Knob' and 'Bonfires and Broomsticks.'

I bought this book for my father's Christmas Box, this Yuletide just gone. He had fond memories of renting it from his local library in the mid 1950s and it has brough back many pleasant memories.

I must admit to having not read this Mary Norton classic but having read all 'The Borrowers' stories she wrote I can safely say this is once book your children cannot do without. This is a tale of friendship and love, not to mention adventure.

A magical story that every child will adore, this is a real adventure that leaves you wanting more.
A timeless classic that deserves space on every family's bookshelf.

This was rather disappointing as I loved the film as a child in the 1970s. The book, based on two novellas, bears only a slight resemblance to its much more famous cinematic counterpart. Much of the book is rather more mundane, though the final section is much more macabre and could not have been part of a Disney film.