The Witch in the Tower
A unique highly illustrated story for children aged 5-9 who love spellbinding fantasy epics and modern adventure stories. (The Times' Best Children's Books of 2025!)
A stunning, highly illustrated coming-of-age fantasy picture book for children aged 5-9 from Gothic picture book queen Júlia Sardà about self-discovery, empowerment and learning to grow up confident! Exquisite, detailed imagery makes for a visual adventure like no other, filled to the brim with magic and wonder.
With its powerful and reassuring message about finding your inner strength and self-belief, this is a truly thoughtful and extra special gift book or stocking stuffer this Christmas and holiday season.
The spell-binding sequel to The Queen in the Cave, longlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Illustration,
follows middle sister Carmela on a truly wild and wondrous soul-shaping adventure where she meets a mysterious witch…
MEET CARMELA...
Carmela's older sister, Franca, has stopped playing with her. Feeling left out and left behind by her big sister, Carmella walks until she can't walk anymore and then … she walks a little further. Somehow, she ends up at a tower she’s never noticed before and she knows right away that she's met a witch; a witch who has, in fact … been waiting for her.
MEET THE WITCH...
The Witch welcomes Carmela into a magical world far beyond the limits of her imagination – a place filled with cauldrons, spells, potions, flying toads and frogs. Carmela visits libraries teeming with ancient books; rooms where worms and spiders weave intricate dresses; a spectacular dome of crystal prisms and, finally, at the very top of the tower – Carmela gets her very own broomstick.
She takes flight – her worries shrinking, her mind expanding and Carmela discovers a power within herself – to see beyond the hurt and pain of growing up, to find her own place in the world.
"The result is singular, not merely a modern classic but one for the ages. Utterly spellbinding." – Kirkus Reviews
"A wild rumpus of sorts and a love letter to the outcasts, 'the lonely, the lost, and the different ones' – and that is a beautiful, empowering thing." – Booklist (starred review)
Praise for The Queen in the Cave:
"supremely exciting [...] An unforgettable story that will leave readers with their eyes wide open." – Booklist (Starred review)
Creators
Júlia Sardà is a Spanish artist who has illustrated many books for children, including Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, The Liszts by Kyo Maclear. She has illustrated The Wolf's Secret by Nicolas Digard and Myriam Dahman, which won Foyles Children's Book of the Year 2020. Her work has been published around the world in many languages. The Queen in the Cave was her debut to the Walker Books list and the first book she has both written and illustrated. It was longlisted for a Yoto Carnegie Award for Illustration 2023. She lives in Barcelona. You can find her on Instagram @juliasardaportabella.
Reviews
Sardà’s intricate artwork reflects Carmela’s inner journey as much as her outer one, truly letting loose as Carmela gleefully unlocks her own free-spirited magic. A wild rumpus of sorts and a love letter to the outcasts, “the lonely, the lost, and the different ones”—and that is a beautiful, empowering thing.
Booklist (starred review)
With the second installment in her Three Sisters trilogy, Sardà has struck gold. Both narrative and aesthetic ooze style, coolly occupying the intersection between cautionary folktale and coming-of-age fantasy epic. . . . The result is singular, not merely a modern classic but one for the ages. . . . Utterly spellbinding.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
With this companion to The Queen in the Cave, Sardà offers a heartfelt invitation to unconventional, lonely kids of all ages. . . .The ebullient digital art complements and expands the verbal story, with maximalist detail and folk-art-esque motifs backgrounded by ample white space. . . .Sardà proves to be a master of composition, grounding visual abundance in carefully balanced geometric arrangements.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
This mythical book shines due to the amazing illustrations, folksy charm infusing the pages with floral and faunal details. . . . A nearly psychedelic sensory experience of feminine power and peace.
School Library Journal (starred review)
