The Trouble with Magic

the long version

He's short and tubby. He wears a funny hat and carries a magic umbrella. He pals around with a sea serpent named George. He can make the most wonderful magic—sometimes. When the wizard sets up housekeeping in their attic, Barbara and her brother Rick discover that magic can also be a very tricky thing. Ruth Chew has a special talent for blending magical events with realistic settings and characters. Her numerous books about slightly offbeat witches have earned her a large and loyal following. Like most Ruth Chew fantasies, this story takes place in Brooklyn, New York, in the neighborhood where the author herself lives.