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Leila, the Perfect Witch

by Flavia Z Drago

Part of the The World of Gustavo series

Subject
Monsters
Age
3-5 years
Format
Hardcover
Pages
40
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Size
25.1 cm × 29.0 cm
ISBN
9781536220506
In this charming picture book from the author-illustrator of Gustavo, The Shy Ghost, a witch who is spellbindingly good at everything discovers that baking is no piece of cake.

Leila Wayward is a little witch who excels at everything she does. She’s the fastest flier, the most cunning conjuror, and the most superb shape-shifter. She has won trophies for potions, herbology, and alchemy—and now she dreams of winning the Magnificent Witchy Cake-off! As the youngest in a long line of masters of the Dark Arts of Patisserie, Leila wants her entry to be perfect. But even with the most bewitching of recipes, she realizes a terrible truth: she’s a disaster in the kitchen. Luckily, Leila has three magical sisters who are happy to share their culinary secrets with her. What’s more, Leila discovers that baking with them is fun! Win or lose, she has already tasted the sweetest thing of all: acceptance—with a pinch of nightshade and a bit of mandrake. Filled with expressive and fancifully offbeat illustrations, Flavia Z. Drago’s enchanting story of trying your hardest despite your imperfections is sure to delight little witches and novice bakers alike.

Data provided by BiblioShare.

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What reviewers said

Loaded with visual humor and quirky details, this whimsical tale charms and delights. Leila, her frog friends, and her family are comically illustrated with quarter-moon eyes and expressive faces. . . A picture book about the gifts of imperfection that casts a sweet and satisfying spell.
Kirkus Reviews
With her magenta hair, greenish skin, and buck teeth, Leila might not be quite as cute as Gustavo (who can be spotted in the bake-off audience), but the pale blue-and-violet-toned illustrations are just as detail-filled and amusing. . . upbeat and engaging. Another Drago book destined for wide circulation, not only at Halloween.
School Library Journal
Drago’s colorful mixed-media illustrations are full of interesting and funny details that complement her playful story, from the pictures on the front endpapers introducing her family to the décor in their gingerbread house to the not-so-scary creatures that inhabit Leila’s witchy world.
The Horn Book
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© 2026 Peekabooks Inc. All Rights Reserved.