The Magician's Elephant

The Magician's Elephant

By Kate DiCamillo

Illustrations by Yoko Tanaka

2009

201 Pages

Young Adult

From the inside flap:

What if? Why not? Could it be?

When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions 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 Peter can hardly dare to believe it.

But it is-all of it-true.

In this story we are taken on a journey of hope by Peter as he searches for his long lost sister. Several characters are brought in as the story progresses and each play a small key role in the journey as a whole. Although Peter is the main character, the story is from other view points as well. The policeman, the magician, and the elephant. I loved the author's ability to use a few small descriptive words to give the reader a complete idea of a character in the story. Her words are so perfect and beautiful-the imagination just flows from there. This story just begs to be read out loud. I also enjoyed the beautiful artwork that was done by Yoko Tanaka. His pictures completed the package.

This small quick read leaves a giant impression on your heart. This magical tale is about hope and love and dares you to ask the question -What if?

I recommend this book for readers 10 and up. This book is available for check out from the Salmon Public Library.