A bad birthday is everyone’s worst nightmare – but imagine how bad things could get if you lived next door to an enchanted forest that happened to be the home of an evil, piano-playing, out-of-tune singing witch.

This is the unfortunate situation faced by Dulcinea, the protagonist of Ole Könnecke’s modern fairytale, Dulcinea in the Forbidden Forest. When her father falls foul of the wicked witch while searching for blueberries for Dulcinea’s special birthday pancakes, Dulcinea must make the treacherous journey to the witch’s castle and use all her wits to save her father – and, more importantly, her birthday!

This is a hilarious and beautifully illustrated take on a classic tale. It is another win for New Zealand independent publisher Gecko Press, proving again why they’re my favourite (and most eccentric) publishing house for children’s books. For ages 5+.

Jeremy George is a bookseller at Readings Malvern.