Zoey Abbott is the author of This Year, a Witch!; How to Draw a Zombie; Banana; Clementine and the Lion; I Do Not Like Yolanda; and finalist for the Oregon Book Award, Pig and Horse and the Something Scary. She lives in Oregon with her family and their dog, Carrots.

Multimedia and Risograph illustrations make magical use of both generous white space and full-bleed spreads and feature vibrant pops of modern Halloween hues, including violet and acidic green. Playfully paced page turns reveal a visual transformation more frightening than even the young witch bargains for, but concise text with emphatic typography keeps the theatrical tone kind-spirited; Abbott perfectly captures youngsters' often-warring desires for autonomy and reassurance. A sly seasonal pick for kids craving a dash of agency alongside their dress-up. --Kirkus, STARRED Review "04/15/2025"

For kids who are ready to break free from expectations and express themselves, this is an inspiring pick. [...] Vibrant colorized art, rich with greens, blues, purples, pinks, oranges, reds, and blacks, brings a nostalgic yet fresh feel to the story, capturing the little witch's whirlwind of emotions. The simple yet powerful message about independence and self-expression will resonate with kids and parents alike. A must-buy. Young readers love exploring their independence, and this delightful story might just inspire a few more to embrace their unique selves--just like this little witch and her dad.--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW "6/1/25"

"Electric accent colors infuse Abbott's inky multimedia and risograph-printed illustrations, which fittingly capture the protagonist's effort to achieve independence in this lively tale that gestures toward the push and pull of growing up."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "6/9/2025"

The spirited pro­tagonist of Zoey Abbott's This Year, a Witch! has an announce­ment: This year's Halloween cos­tume will be scary instead of sweet. "Every single year since I was a baby, I've been utterly adorable," she informs readers, adding an emphatic "Ugh. Blech. Sickening! Yuck." That adorableness shall come to an end "because . . . this year, a WITCH! [...] Abbott's heart­warming tale is an empathetic ode to self-ex­pression. Infused with vibrant neon colors and finely tuned humor, it's a welcome reminder that you can be a scary witch and need your dad and cat at the same time.--BookPage, STARRED REVIEW "9/15/2025"

Publisher: Bound to Stay Bound Books

Pub date: 2025-07-15

Length: 34 pages