Hocus and Pocus (series)

Hocus and Pocus (series)

Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home

9781536236729

Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door

9781536242690

Hocus and Pocus and the Snow Day Sorcery

9781536249668

A. R. Capetta

 Charlene Chua

 Candlewick Press, 2024-2026

96pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

Puppies Hocus and Pocus are still waiting to be adopted from the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets. They are determined to be adopted together, but even though Hocus can see two minutes into the future and Pocus can turn bad feelings into bubbles (which he eats!), nobody seems to want them. This could be because the two keep causing mischief so they won’t be separated. When Jinx the witch uses a “spell for home” potion to help a colour-changing tortoise find his match, the puppies know what to do: sneak both their hairs into the mixture to ensure they get adopted together. 

And their idea works because now they live in Inkwell, in a big purple house filled with magic and mischief  with Jinx, whose closest friends are all witches, wizards and warlocks, and the adventures are about to start!

This is a series that is going to enchant young readers who are transitioning to reading novels with their wider cast of characters and more complex storylines, but who still need the support of illustrations, shorter chapters and so forth.  Apart from the attraction of two puppies – one extroverted, the other more reserved – they will enjoy the characters who despite their fantasy elements, still have human issues like anxiety, being afraid of new things, meeting people and working out just who they are and where they fit in, as well as appreciating the underlying message that regardless of who we are, or the worries we have, the power of friendship overcomes them all.