"The Carbonel books are excellent stories, imbued with wonder and practicality in equal measure, dry humor, and a clear-eyed and sometimes sardonic love of cats. They have a healthy interest in food and a ruthless interest in the logical working-out of the implications of magic. . . . These books have moved me to laughter and tears." –Pamela Dean
"There is a Nesbit quality about Miss Sleigh's writing as there is in her manipulation of magic. . . .her books are always well worth waiting for." –
Junior Bookshelf "Barbara Sleigh laces adventure with humor and has a casually expert way of twisting everyday settings and events into something bizarre and wholly entertaining," –Margery Fisher,
Growing Point
"A delightfully amusing story." –Parents Magazine
"It's a highly diverting fantasy, told exactly as though it all could happen." –Chicago Tribune
"We do like good fantasy, and it is hard to find. Here is some magic sturdily rooted in everyday happenings with both the real children and their enchanted acquaintances well characterized and sharing in some very convincing experiences." –New York Herald Tribune
"A truly bewitching story reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland." –New York Journal American
"A highly entertaining fantasy." –San Francisco Chronicle
"Magic and everyday life blend smoothly in this highly enjoyable fantasy, perfect for reading aloud." –Terri Schmitz, Horn Book
"A delightful story for those who like impossible things to happen in a humdrum world...The children are lively, the grown-ups (including the witch) colorful and the mingling of magic and reality is most effective." –The New York Times
"The magic is potent in The Kingdom of Carbonel...The children have some very worthwhile experiences including trips in an airborne rocking chair (very bumpy), an accident with an invisibility spell and the challenge of Mrs. Cantrip's Miniscule Magic powder." –The New York Times
