Witchward Bound - (Butter and Owl Adventures) by Erin Bow (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From Newbery Honor-winning author Erin Bow, a timeless tale of friendship and magic, delivered in a stunning, collectible package--first in a new series.

Homeward Bound meets The Odyssey with the charm of Studio Ghibli in this instant classic for 8-to-12-year-olds about magical animals on a quest to find their lost witch.

Once upon a time there was a pair of witch's helpers: a cat named Butter and a raven named Owl. The cat knows he is destined to be a great hero--just ask him. The raven wouldn't recognize destiny if she flew into it beak-first. They do not get along.

But then their witch vanishes, and Butter and Owl must quest to find her. To reunite their family, they'll have to outwit sirens and cyclops, gods and ghosts--and hardest of all, they'll have to learn to work together.

Humorous and heartfelt, the story of Butter and Owl's first adventure shows what it means to be a great hero--and what it takes to be a good friend. With enchanting illustrations by New York Times best-seller Kelly Murphy and sparkling words written by beloved, Newbery Honor-winning author Erin Bow, this tale is a classic in the making--a whimsical, witty, and warm story worthy of reading again and again.

Review Quotes

Praise for Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

A Newbery Honor Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
An Audie Award Finalist
Winner of the 2023 CYBILS Award for Middle Grade Fiction
Winner of the 2024-2025 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An Indie Next Selection
A National Education Association's Read Across America Recommendation
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023
A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2023
A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book
A Chicago Public Library Kids Best of the Best Book
A Bank Street College 2024 Best Book of the Year (with a star for outstanding merit)
A 2023-2024 Project LIT Book Club Pick
An Amazon Editors' Pick January 2023

"Funny, poignant and--most important--hopeful." --The New York Times

"A remarkable achievement." --Ali Benjamin, New York Times best-selling and National Book Award-nominated author of The Thing About Jellyfish

"Fast-paced and full of quirky characters, Simon Sort of Says presents a tragedy stitched up with humor, sensitivity, and rare humanity." --Jack Gantos, Newbery Award-winning author of Dead End in Norvelt

"This book is as close to everything as one book can be." --Kyle Lukoff, Newbery Honor-winning, Stonewall Award-winning, and National Book Award-nominated author of Too Bright to See

★ "Adroit, sensitive, horrifying, yet hilarious." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Compassionate and refreshingly hopeful." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Bow's storytelling brims with vitality." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"A near-perfect novel." --Shelf Awareness

"[Masterful] . . . funny and heartfelt in equal measure." --School Library Journal

"Heartwarming, heartbreaking and, it must be said, hilarious." --National Catholic Reporter

About the Author

Erin Bow grew up wanting to be an astronomer, trained as a particle physicist . . . and then took a left turn into writing poetry and children's fiction. Her books--which include Simon Sort of Says, Stand on the Sky, Plain Kate, Sorrow's Knot, and the science fiction duology The Scorpion Rules and The Swan Riders--have won a fistful of awards, including a Newbery Honor. Born in Iowa and raised in Nebraska, Erin now writes in a shed in her messy but beloved garden in Ontario, Canada. Visit her online at ErinBow.com and @ErinBowBooks.

Kelly Murphy is a New York Times best-selling author-illustrator and recipient of the E.B. White Award. Her 50+ books have been translated in 16 languages and have been featured on "best books of the year" lists by Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus, and the New York Times. Kelly currently teaches illustration at her alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design, and lives in her native New England. Like Butter and Owl, she hopes to one day sail underneath a bright aurora sky.