The Magic Three of Solatia [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author), Julia Noonan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1974

The magic in the three silver buttons of the seawitch serves both Sianna of the Song and her son as they struggle against the curses and spells of a ruthless wizard.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Nowegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 172 pages
• Publisher: Ty Crowell Co; 1St Edition edition (October 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0690005326
• ISBN-13: 978-0690005325
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,726,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical book, June 12, 2000

By 

Sarah Lewis (booklete dot com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Magic Three of Solatia (Paperback)

Fans of Jane Yolen and new readers will both love this book. I have never read another book like this one.

It's comprised of three sections, connected somewhat by relationships between the characters, but moreso by the existance of three magic buttons. Each button and its wish aid the owner in a beautiful way.

This book is magical and captivating, and the characters are very well written. Highly recommended!

4.0 out of 5 stars Very well written and memorable, June 18, 2008

By 

Benjamin Drasin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic Three of Solatia (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this around seventh grade I think, when I was gaga over anything fantasy/mythology/fairy tale related. I really enjoyed it, first of all because the stories are totally origional and not clearly derived from other stories or traditions. At the same time, the setting and characters were well developed and memorable. The Dread Mary, Bleakaard the wizard, the magic buttons...it all seemed very real to me, like the better Narnia stories or Le Guin's works. I'd be curious to try re-reading the stories now to see how well they held up to my older and hopefully somewhat more mature eyes.