Ooo-Cha

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University and the co-author of
Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom.

One day Emily sets out with a basket of goodies for her Great Granny
Fanny who lives on the other side of the Wild, Wild Forest. Before
departing, Emily’s mother reminds Emily to remember her manners and
the magic word and to take her good witch wand.

In the Wild, Wild Forest, Emily encounters several beasts who all want
the goodies in her basket. Because they are ill-mannered, Emily
transforms the beasts into wildflowers by using her witch wand and
reciting the magic word “Ooo-cha!” Then she meets a frog and kisses
it, and the amphibian transforms into a weary-looking dragon slayer who
longs to battle a dragon. Emily turns to the snapdragon in her beautiful
wildflower bouquet, recites the magic word
backward—“Aaaa-choo!”—and voila, a dragon!

Upon reaching Great Granny Fanny’s cottage, Emily discovers that her
grandmother is being held hostage by the Three Little Pigs. In order to
rescue her grandmother, Emily gives the swine the goodies in her basket.
Emily also tickles their noses with her wildflowers, and the pigs’
sneezes reverse the magic spells, transforming the flowers back into
beasts who chase the Three Little Pigs into the woods. Thanks to
Emily’s ingenuity and foresight, she and Granny get to enjoy tea and
goodies.

The decorative art nouveau-style illustrations are framed with borders
of wooden flowers and the first letter of each new page of text is
illuminated. Emily is an astute and fearless character. There are
several intertexualities in this delightful and enchanting story. Highly
recommended.