MAGIC IN THE MIST [Hardcover]

Kimmel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1975

Thomas living in west Wales studies long and hard to become a wizard but with very little success.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (July 1, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689500262
• ISBN-13: 978-0689500268
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAGIC IN THE MIST, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: MAGIC IN THE MIST (Hardcover)

This is a gentle, sensitive story about a child who has studied wizardry long and hard and has only a little luck with his magic. He is not able to light a proper fire to keep his house warm. The only company he has is one small toad. On one remarkable day he listens to the song of his toad and notices the beginnings of magic. The friendship shared between the two focuses the child's magical efforts on songs about wind, flame etc. and that is when the spells work the best.

The black on white sketches are clear and inhance the story set in Wales.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. During this Harry Potter era, I have been looking for a gentle approach to the magical for our little people story time at the library where I work. I also have a 4 1/2 year old who loves Harry Potter on tape and enjoys this story even more since he can imagine himself as the character more easily. I hope the publishers reprint this since my copy is on loan from another library!

Sincerely, Childrens Literature Specialist CAS

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unusual & Delightful Read - a review of "Magic in the Mist", November 30, 2006

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: MAGIC IN THE MIST (Hardcover)

Arrgh. I am constantly surprised to find wonderful books which are either hard to find, or out of print. "Magic in the Mist" is one of them.

It is a rare little book that presents a story that is more adult-like in it's conception. Different from other books in which the theme is more or less pre-digested, in this book the developments are not obvious, nor predictable, and the plot doesn't just clobber you over the head with an obvious message.

Which is not to say that I have anything against the pre-digested sorts of books. Only that I think children ought to be exposed to a diverse garden of books.

In any case, this book is about a boy named Thomas and his frog friend Jeremy. They live in western Wales and Thomas is studying magic, although none too successfully. Then one day magic comes into his life when a small dragon appears. The dragon does not stay long, but the magic lingers.

Five Stars. Wonderful Read-aloud. Excellent artwork. [Trina Schart Hyman did the intricate drawings for this book and they are marvelous.] There just aren't many books with such vibrant word usage.

Find below is the first paragraph of the book so you can judge for yourself.

Once, when the mountains sang and people
listened, when Cader Idris was covered by snow
and Plynlimon was hidden by fog, there lived
in west Wales, a boy named Thomas. His home
was a rude shelter at the edge of a bog, not far
from the sea. Thomas was studying to be a
wizard. Although he spent long hours with
books, practicing spells and chanting incanta-
tions, his magic was not very strong. In fact, it
was not even strong enough to keep his house
warm. Each morning as the cold wet day began,
Thomas would try to light the house fire. In
spite of all his spells, the rain kept on dripping
into the small hut, the wind blew through
chinks in the walls, and Thomas could do no
more than strike a weak spark.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neat, October 31, 2007

By 

Simon Haynes "Author and programmer" (Perth, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MAGIC IN THE MIST (Hardcover)

It's the illustrations that will surprise you - the little trainee wizard boy with his short hair, scarf and round glasses IS Harry Potter, and yet pre-dates the Potter books by about 20 years.

A short picture book, but the Welsh setting and the loneliness really come through.