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This title in other formats:The Magician's Elephantby Kate DiCamillo
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:In a highly awaited new novel, Kate DiCamillo conjures a haunting fable about trusting the unexpected — and making the extraordinary come true.
What if? Why not? Could it be? When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it's true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes — hope and belonging, desire and compassion — with the lightness of a magician's touch. Review:"In DiCamillo's fifth novel, a clairvoyant tells 10-year-old Peter, an orphan living with a brain-addled ex-soldier, that an elephant will lead him to his sister, who the ex-soldier claims died at birth. The fortuneteller's prediction seems cruelly preposterous as there are no pachyderms anywhere near Baltese, a vaguely eastern European city enduring a bitter winter. Then that night at the opera house, a magician 'of advanced years and failing reputation' attempts to conjure a bouquet of lilies but instead produces an elephant that crashes through the ceiling. Peter learns that both magician and beast have been jailed, and upon first glimpse of the imprisoned elephant, Peter realizes that his fate and the elephant's are linked. The mannered prose and Tanaka's delicate, darkly hued paintings give the story a somber and old-fashioned feel. The absurdist elements — street vendors peddle chunks of the now-infamous opera house ceiling with the cry 'Possess the plaster of disaster!' — leaven the overall seriousness, and there is a happy if predictable ending for the eccentric cast of anguished characters, each finding something to make them whole. Ages 8 — 13. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:" Review:"The profound and deeply affecting emotions at work in the story are buoyed up by the tale's succinct, lyrical text....Tanaka's charming black-and-white acrylic illustrations have a soft, period feel that perfectly matches the tone of this spellbinding story." Booklist (starred review) Review:"DiCamillo's carefully crafted prose creates an evocative aura of timelessness for a story that is, in fact, timeless. Tanaka's acrylic artwork is meticulous in detail and aptly matches the tone of the narrative. This is a book that demands to be read aloud." School Library Journal (starred review) Review:"DiCamillo entrances her audience with a group of quaint characters....Thoughtful readers will feel a quiet satisfaction with this almost dainty tale of impossible happenings." VOYA Review:"[T]he prose is remarkable, reflecting influences from Kafka to the theater of the absurd to Laurel-and-Hardy humor.... Synopsis:In her eagerly awaited new novel, the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Tale of Despereaux conjures a haunting fable about trusting the unexpected — and making the impossible come true. DiCamillo evokes themes of hope and belonging, desire and compassion. Illustrations.
About the AuthorKate DiCamillo is the author of The Tale of Despereaux, which was awarded the Newbery Medal; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor winner; The Tiger Rising, a National Book Award Finalist; the picture book Great Joy; and five books starring Mercy Watson, including a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. She lives in Minneapolis.
Yoko Tanaka is a graduate of the Art Center College in Pasadena, California. She is the illustrator of Theodosia and the Seprents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers, and Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker. Yoko Tanaka lives in Los Angeles and Bangkok. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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