Winnie Under the Sea (2024)

Another installment in this fun series of books written by Valerie Thomas with great illustrations by Korky Paul.

Nice enough although this installment and the series in general is sadly starting to feel somewhat lazy and formulaic. Perhaps it's time for Thomas and Paul to move onto something new?

Winnie and Wilbur are fast becoming one of my favourite comic duos and in this hilarious tale they go on holiday, and decide to experience some underwater swimming ... with terrible consequences!

Winnie is relaxing at home when she decides it would be nice to take a holiday so even Winnie has to use the Wibbly Wobbly (Web that is) to book one! She finds a little island with blue sea, golden sand and coconut trees and her and her lovely cat Wilbur jet off on the broomstick with every conceivable piece of equipment hanging from it.

They find their idyllic hut right on the edge of the sea and Winnie dons goggles and flippers and dives into the briny while Wilbur climbs a coconut tree and has a nice peaceful sleep. Winnie enjoys it so much that she wants Wilbur to join her but he is less than keen so she waves heR magic wand, screams 'Abracadabra' and turns Wilbut into a cat-fish.

Wilbur loves it underwater and has such fun that Winnie is envious as she too wants to enjoy herself. So she once more waves her magic wand, screams 'Abracadabra' and turns herself into an octopus. She has great fun but when a sea lion comes along, flips its tail and dislodges Winnie's magic wand from her hand, she is in trouble. She tries to grab it but misses and a swordfish and a jellyfish are also unable to catch it.

It sinks to the bottom of the sea where there is a wreck of an old sailing ship. The pair have a good deal of trouble in trying to find the wand but it is eventually located in a treasure chest. Winnie grabs it, waves it five times, shouts 'Abracadabra' and her and Wilbur float gently back to the shore with Winnie looking marvellous in a pastiche of Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'!

But Winnie still hankers after being underwater and she suddenly has an idea. Her magic wand and the word 'Abracadabra' are once more in action and her and Wilbur find themselves in an enchanted underwater world with no harassment. How does Winnie do it? Well I'm not telling but I have to say, 'Beatles, eat your hearts out'!

The Winnie the Witch series, with superb illustrations from Korky Paul, is great fun and, as has sometimes been said, it is 'pure magic'... ABRACADABRA!

It's holiday time for Winnie the witch and her black cat Wilbur in this twelfth picture-book devoted to their adventures, and the pair head to a tropical island for some time by the sea. Winnie, impressed by the beautiful aquatic life she encounters while snorkeling, and wanting Wilbur to share in the experience, turns her feline companion into a catfish. Witnessing his pleasure at cavorting under the waves, she turns herself into an octopus. But when she loses hold of her magic wand, the witchy-feline duo must search a shipwreck on the ocean floor, if they ever want to see dry land again...

I think

A lovely Winnie the Witch story about the adventures of Winnie and Wilbur under the sea. It has some great colourful images which lots of children would love. I think it would be best used as a story book at the end of the day for KS1 children. If children are doing 'under the sea' or a sea based topic then it would be a great book to have in the book corner for children to enjoy!

Winnie goes on vacation with Wilbur.

Short entertaining picture book.

Okuma hevesi

Winnie Under the Sea is an extremely enjoyable and quirky book from the well known Winnie the Witch series. Winnie and her cat Wilbur set off on their holidays to a remote island. Wilbur, not so impressed by the water does not appear to be enjoying it one bit until... ABRACADABRA! WInnie turns him into a catfish and the pair continues their adventure underwater together, swimming next to various types of fish, dolphins and coral. Disaster strikes when Winnie loses her wand, despite her best efforts to save it from the swordfish and jellyfish. Of course, in typical Winnie the Witch fashion, she finds her wand again in the treasure chest at the bottom of the sea and calm is restored.
The illustrations in the book are detailed and entertaining at times, especially the picture of WInnie with a device which resembles an I-pad! The front and back pages of the book also display children’s illustrations, and are certainly a fun addition to the book.
The short sentences throughout the book and continued use of alliteration make it a perfect choice for young children to listen to. It could be used as group reading for older children in Years 3 and 4. There is a recipe at the back of the book for “Winnie’s Under the Sea Biscuits.” These could be made in food technology and design after studying the book in the classroom.

This is the first readout to my kids in ‘Winnie the Witch’ series. The portrayal of Winnie - the Morden old witch, Wilber the cat and eye-catching illustration will encourage you to look out for more books of this series. This book also evoke interest in kids to draw the images from the book.
Note: Ready to name and take their questions on all the underwater fishes which appear in the pages.

Weer een hele leuke in de serie van Hennie en Helmer. Meteen hier 2x na elkaar moeten voorlezen, helemaal goedgekeurd door ons klein luisteraartje. Met tekeningen waarin lekker veel te ontdekken valt.

Fun

Winnie and Wilbur explore the seas in a magically adventurous holiday. Although this story doesn't have a Halloween vibe, it is beautifully illustrated for the ones that love the beach and ocean.

Finally an other good Winnie book! The world is interesting under the sea, changing both of them into water creatures is creative, and the end solution with the submarine is really good!

Fun book but body horror still terrifies me. 🐙

A quirky story with cool illustrations and a the end, a recipe for Winnie's Under the Sea Biscuits which we'll have to try this weekend :-) Looking forward to finding more Winnie the Witch books at our library.

Winnie Under the Sea is part of the Winnie the Witch series by Valerie Thomas, with the oddish and fun illustrations of Korky Paul.

This story is about Winnie and Wilbur's holiday, and it is entertaining in a mildly bizarre way.

3 stars.

sea biscuits making at the end of this book would be fun activity.

Beautifully illustrated book. The story kept my son's attention, and the illustrations kept mine!

iki farkli sinifa okudugum icin bence iki farkli kere okumus sayilirim.

Winnie the witch and Wilbur her cat go on holiday. They decide to explore under the sea. The best way to do that is with a little magic.
Nothing ever goes quite right for Winnie.

I love this collection of books.

5 stars out of 5.

AASA