Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Review:

Review:

Review:

Review:

Review:

Synopsis:

Synopsis:

About the Author

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!

Average customer rating based on 4 comments:

---

Judith Claudi-Magnusse, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Judith Claudi-Magnusse)
A touching story. Very imaginative.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

Annette P, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Annette P)
The Magician's Elephant reminds us that we must hope and dream, and consider even what seems impossible in order to rise above the challenges that living in our world brings. I enjoyed Kate DiCamillo's tale because she presents these positive ideas simply and eloquently. While most of us are used to saying "why?", she reminds us "why not?" and "what if?". I bought this book as a gift for an adult friend as a Christmas present because I knew that she would appreciate the quality of the storytelling. When I read the first chapter myself, I knew that I had to read it too. Is the story's outcome predictable? Others have stated so in their reviews. I don't think it matters whether or not it is. This story is all about the message: to hope and to trust and to believe in yourself. I think that is the real magic!

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(5 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

The Eager Readers, March 10, 2010 (view all comments by The Eager Readers)
he Magician's Elephant is a sweet tale of hope set in a world colored by grief and monotony. Yoko Tanaka's bleak black and white illustrations are quiet and expressive and seem well-suited to the cold and wintry atmosphere of the story. Readers who liked The Tale of Despereaux may find this book a slower, more-predictable adventure, but they will still enjoy Kate DiCamillo's fable-like prose & her characters filled with heart and hopefulness.

What I liked:
- The quirky cast of characters. Kate DiCamillo has a knack for revealing her character's dreams and fears in a straightforward and touching way, and she succeeds in sharing the key experiences that shaped their personalities & attitudes.
- The idea of an elephant inexplicably crashing through the ceiling of an opera house is explored in a way that reflects both the sadness and the heartfelt wish that precipitated her arrival. That side of the storyline also touches on the lack of compassion in keeping a wild animal in captivity for human entertainment, which I really appreciated.
- Virtually all of the main & supporting character's are compelling in some way & you'll want to see each of their dreams realized and their hopes validated.
- Some of the bit players with the tiniest of rolls were very entertaining. For example, the captain of police and the Countess Quintet play very small rolls, but they are both memorable and amusing.

What I wished:
- The story had been less predictable. Even our five year old was certain about the story's eventual outcome after reading the first couple of chapters. And predictability can be a deal-breaker in our household. Even if the characters are charming or pitiable & the initial concept is unusual, predictability can make a short & relatively entertaining book seem too long. Predictability can also lead us to be overly critical of minor characters who seem unnecessary to the plot as well as any scenes that do not actively drive the plot forward.
- Peter is a tender-hearted young boy who is used to being lonely & quietly grieving for the family he has lost. Those qualities define him & as readers we long for him to find both his sister & a real family, but I wanted to see more layers of Peter's personality explored and more changes becoming evident in him as the story progressed.

I liked The Magician's Elephant and would recommend it to young and old readers alike. It will particularly appeal to readers with a fondness for reaffirming tales of hope and faith. It is populated by characters who have each seen their share of heartbreak and live in a fairly monotonous, gloomy world. But despite their disappointments, many of these individuals maintain a spark of hope and a longing for the seemingly impossible, which ultimately brings them together to explore "What if?" instead of settling for what is.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(4 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

View all 4 comments

Product Details

ISBN:

9780763644109

Author:

DiCamillo, Kate

Publisher:

Candlewick Press (MA)

Illustrator:

Tanaka, Yoko

Author:

Tanaka, Yoko

Author:

Cook, Matthew

Author:

Resnick, Jacqueline

Subject:

Brothers and sisters

Subject:

Adventure and adventurers

Subject:

Fantasy & Magic

Subject:

Animals - Elephants

Subject:

Family - Siblings

Subject:

Fantasy fiction

Subject:

Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic

Subject:

Children s-Science Fiction and Fantasy

Subject:

Animals - General

Copyright:

2009

Edition Description:

B-Hardcover

Series:

Misfit Menagerie

Publication Date:

20090931

Binding:

HARDCOVER

Grade Level:

from 3 up to 7

Language:

English

Illustrations:

, Y

Pages:

272

Dimensions:

8.25 x 5.5 in 1 lb

Age Level:

08-13

The Magician's Elephant Used Hardcover Kate DiCamillo Product details 272 pages Candlewick Press (MA) - 2010-02-23 English 9780763644109 Reviews: