The Man Who Walked the Earth [Hardcover]

Ian Wallace (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Andre and Elise’s father has gone in search of work, and may not be home for Christmas. The day he left, their mother set an extra place at the table in case a hungry stranger visits. “Wherever your father is, I hope someone will set a place for him,” she says. Eight months later, no one has come to their door. Then a mysterious stranger arrives on Christmas night and performs dazzling magic tricks. Can he use magic to bring back their father? In this wonderful story about the rewards of being kind to strangers, Ian Wallace has performed his own kind of magic.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-Refined, realistic paintings in muted tones of brown, gray, deep blue, and black evoke the mood of a magical time in a harsh environment. On a prairie farm in the far north during the 1930s, a mother, her daughter, and her son set an extra place at the table during the long months that the father is away seeking work, with the hope that others will do the same for him. On Christmas, a mysterious stranger arrives, and in exchange for their kindness he amazes them with magic tricks and grants the children a wish. After he leaves, the children receive both the greatest gift and the fulfillment of their wish: their father returns. A heartwarming read-aloud about the true magic of kindness.-M. W.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books (August 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888995458
• ISBN-13: 978-0888995452
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,557,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful Christmas fable, December 1, 2003

By 

jaylyn olivo (brookline, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Walked the Earth (Hardcover)

Another simply told tale from Ian Wallace. His text is spare, straightforward, and compelling. The illustrations, like so many of his, are evocative of place and time, with enough detail to make us feel the homeliness of the house and its inhabitants. The warmth of lamplight spills into each scene, guarding us and the characters of brother and sister and mother against the harsh cold of the out of doors, really of the world. The arrival of the stranger out of the cold, his magic tricks, his presentation of gifts, and his departure happen so fluidly that we, too, are caught up in the surprise and delight of his visit. The best of his gifts brings this story to its close, and we want to read it again to recapture the magic.