ISABELLA CASTASPELLA

The Happy Little Witch and Her Friends

by radha baum &
parvati markus

Isabella Castaspella, the happy little witch known as Izzy, is flying into town and she will cast a happy little spell on you!

ISABELLA CASTASPELLA is a unique book (in print, digital, and audio) of ten chapters, all written in verse, with black-and-white illustrations. It tells the story of Izzy’s struggles with Lavinia LaMeanie, a nasty witch who is always trying to make life miserable for Izzy and her friends. It’s most suited for a 5-9 age range (K-3rd grade) and is the perfect bedtime story to be read aloud to young children.

Each of Izzy’s diverse friends expresses a particular aspect or behavior of childhood. Messy Tessy has trouble finding her crystal ball because she doesn’t pick up after herself; MoonTune doubts his abilities as a musician; Daizy Dew is an artist who tends to be “scatter-brained”; Angel Cruz, the soccer champ, has trouble reading. Many children face problems like Daizy Dew’s ADHD or Angel Cruz’s dyslexia, but here they are never labeled as such. Their different ethnicities are also never mentioned. Each is accepted as is and treated with kindness.

Then there are the animals: Myron, a super-smart frog, is Izzy’s companion; Maxine is a very particular cat with healing powers; and Messy Tessy’s pet Bruno, the lovable, ever-hungry bulldog, runs into trouble with mean old Lavinia LaMeanie. And let’s not forget Witchie the Wise; even magical little witches need a mentor. The friends find their strengths and coalesce into a team that wards off Lavinia’s efforts, utilizing more heart than magic. The only one using her magical powers in a mean way is Lavinia LaMeanie, the bully seeking revenge, who in the end is defeated by the power of love.

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parvati markus

has been midwifing spiritually-oriented books ever since she helped edit Ram Dass' classic Be Here Now. She is the author of Love Everyone: The Transcendent Wisdom of Neem Karoli Baba Told Through the Stories of the Westerners Whose Lives He Transformed (HarperOne, 2015) and Whisper in the Heart: The Ongoing Presence of Neem Karoli Baba (Mandala Publishing, 2022). Books she has edited have been published by Hay House, Inner Traditions, Simon & Schuster, Contemporary/McGraw Hill, Lotus Press, and others. She has helped with spiritual organizations as past President of the Board of the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram and Hanuman Temple in Taos, NM and events as a development consultant for the Global Peace Initiative of Women, and the GPIW Sita conference held in Varanasi. She is on the Board of Advisors for the Love Serve Remember Foundation. Parvati has an M.A. in Creative Writing from The McGregor School of Antioch University.

Radha baum

has a degree in Early Childhood Education from NYU and worked as a nursery school teacher. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), a Registered Nurse (RN), a licensed acupuncturist and a practitioner of various complementary healing techniques. She is D.A.N. certified (Defeat Autism Now) and has worked with autistic children at the Exceptional Health and Wellness Center/Central Speech, in Hartsdale, NY, in family education, nutritional guidance, and ABA training for children. She has lectured on Childhood Disorders, and Allergies and Nutrition for Children at Exceptional Health and Wellness Center as well as at the Schachter Center for Complementary Medicine in Suffern, NY, where she also lectured on Woman’s Health Issues and Chinese Herbal Medicine. Like Parvati, she has studied Story with Robert McKee.

BARUCH INBAR

is an award-winning visionary artist, illustrator, writer, designer, and author from Northern California. In addition to creating his own media properties, he consults to other individuals and companies, where he has been involved in the development of numerous entertainment and media projects: animation, film, apps, toys, games and books. He has published three children's books, which he authored and illustrated: Snurtle, DJ Bear, and Thor the Polar Boar.