TITLE: The Magician's Elephant
AUTHOR: Kate DiCamillo
STARTED: April 10, 2011
FINISHED: April 10, 2011
PAGES: 202
GENRE: Juvenile
FIRST SENTENCE: At the end of the century before last, in the market square of the city of Baltese, there stood a boy with a hat on his head and a coin in his hand.
SUMMARY: [From Amazon.com
] 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. THOUGHTS: This books was a little sad but still utterly charming. DiCamillo has a way of writing quaint fairy-tale like stories that make feel warm and fuzzy.
The plot of this book, as with most children's books, is simple - an orphaned boy seeks to be reunited with his sister. Along the way, the boy encounters several characters (and an elephant!) who help him on his quest. This story, through brief, is full realized and exceptionally told. No character feels superfluous or incomplete and each plays an important role in the story. This is a fairy tale world that feels right out of the past.
In this book, DiCamillo uses "old timey" language that is full of emotion to convey her story. The feel of this book is perfect. I would not have been nearly as good if she used modern language to tell a story that seems set in old world Europe. Her choice of vocabulary is a little challenging for young readers, but each word is carefully selected to add to the depth to the setting, characters, and story of the book. I would not change a thing about her writing.
DiCamillo's storytelling is a comforting,warm, and enjoyable read.
RATING: 8/10 [Terrific]
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