Witchward Bound by Erin Bow, illustrated by Kelly Murphy
- Cana Clark
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
In Witchward Bound, two argumentative witch's familiars find themselves on a perilous and magical journey to find their missing witch! Witch's familiars seem to be on the rise in middle grade lately... (see Renegades by Erin Hunter). I wonder how many more we'll see in the coming years!
The familiars who lead us through this journey are Butter the cat and Owl the crow. The two are absolutely distraught when their witch disappears from the tiny island they occupy. Aided by myriad magical beings and objects, the two go on a true odyssey to find their witch. I mean, literally, this book is an adaptation of The Odyssey. (So on the zeitgeist — good for Erin)!
Erin Bow starts this adventure with a classic fairy tale-esque introduction to the rules of Butter and Owl's magic-filled world. Witches serve as general wisewomen of their island towns, and work to assist in "births and deaths and burials and namings." Witches solve feuds and deal with ghosts, and add "small human magic into small human things," which keeps the townspeople from calling on larger and wilder magics that can lead to islands becoming full of monsters. We also learn that witches have three familiars and how these familiars all balance each other out. We then learn about the contradictions that Butter and Owl the familiars both present; Butter is a boy calico and Owl is actually a raven. And if you paid attention to the rules establishment, you might notice that only TWO familiars are introduced. I wonder if this is important to the story!
Throughout the familiars' journey, they meet many of Odysseus' obstacles, albeit with an Erin Bow-spin. Instead of Circe's island, Butter and Owl land on Nightshade's Isle of Ease, where all of the inhabitants are cats. Like the Trojans, Butter lazes around and eats until he turns into a pig. Lucky for Butter, Owl refuses to leave him. Many such mishaps follow; Owl is tempted by sirens, Butter and Owl have to outsmart giants with names like NoThing and NoBody, and their boat (which is named Bright Idea) is almost destroyed. Snacks and water run out, and the familiars argue about how to complete their mission. Even a sly otter god named Quicksilver serves as a sort of Olympian interference when our heroes falter. (Deus ex ottera?)
On their adventure, Butter and Owl face more than mythological obstacles. They are led by a "Canny Bell" that rings and leads them towards their missing witch. They mostly travel from island to island in their search. Sometimes their fatal flaws cause them to lose their way, even with a magical bell to lead them in the right direction. Butter's insistence that he is the most important familiar and Owl's need to prove herself make for a difficult dynamic. Their shared quest isn't enough to make them a good team — they have to learn to respect each other and show humility.
The witch, a character we only really see in the last chapter, is of course named Penelope, and she serves as a wise and parental figure. She is sort of godly, with rules that must be met in order for her to succeed... she must return to her own place of origin to be recharged and be able to serve her island town properly. She needs three familiars to balance her out. She is mysterious and her ways are not fully known. Yet she remains benevolent and rewards her familiars when they reunite, reassuring them that she always knew they would come. What a take on Penelope!
Erin Bow follows the structure of the Odyssey and gives it the heart of a children's classic. The theme of home is central to this hero's journey, with both home and heroes changed at the end. In this tale, respect for others and trust in oneself are equally important. Witchward Bound, like any classic (whether Winnie the Pooh or The Odyssey), has plenty to teach us. And like those tales, it's also a really fun story. Recommend!
Book Info
Title: Witchward Bound: A Butter and Owl Adventure
Publisher: Disney Hyperion / Disney Publishing Group
ISBN: 9781368114448
Author: Erin Bow
Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
Pub date: Sep 2026
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