Maxwell's Magic Mix-up [Hardcover]

Linda Ashman (Author), Regan Dunnick (Author)

Book Description

It's my sister's seventh birthday.
Entertainer calls in sick.
Poor Louise is brokenhearted.
Better find a backup quick!

When Maxwell the Magician entertains at Louise's birthday party, the birthday girl is turned into a rock, her father into a broom, and the guests into animals. It takes Max's young nephew, Alex, to save the day!

Kids will laugh at the mixed-up magic and root for Alex to set things straight at this unforgettable birthday party.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A bumbling magician named Maxwell wreaks havoc when he steps in at the last minute to entertain at Louise's birthday party. The disaster unfolds in a series of witty, staccato quatrains: "Party starts. Magician enters./ Hocus pocus! What a shock!/ Stumbles through his incantation.../ Turns Louise into a rock." In short order various guests are transformed into a bird, a cat, a pig and so on. Louise's furious father demands a quick fix, but ends up a broom ("I can tell my father's angry./ For a broom, he looks quite mean./ He is sweeping like a demon./ Never seen the floor so clean"). After the hapless Max accidentally conjures up a marching band, he throws in the towel and calls in his young nephew to set things right. The brisk, upbeat tempo of Ashman's (Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs) clever verses enhances the farcical tone of the proceedings. First-time illustrator Dunnick, meanwhile, matches the pace with boisterous cartoons, all bustle and panic. The expressions of his droll, bug-eyed characters range from deadpan to quizzical to alarmed, and many of the set pieces have a goofy gleefulness, as when the surprised-looking guests are suddenly restored to their original forms, the father still propped against a door and a girl crouched atop a bookcase. Frothy fun. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-Magic run amok plagues Louise's seventh birthday party as a substitute magician turns the birthday girl into a rock. Each subsequent word or gesture creates a catastrophic transformation of someone else. Ashman's quatrains include the exclamations of the guests and superbly accelerate the action; the final, suspenseful words on each page prepare readers for the newest calamity. Dunnick reveals Maxwell's disastrous magic with watercolor-and-pen cartoon drawings that highlight the fast-moving action and the humor of the performer's mistakes. The transformations retain some characteristics of the guests, such as identifiable party hats and clothes. Simple lines and a tiny dot of a pupil convey expression in the faces of the large-headed characters who run and fly across the pages. A funny read-aloud for any collection.
Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1 edition (April 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689831781
• ISBN-13: 978-0689831782
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,621,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Ashman's books have been named to the "best of the year" lists of the New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Child Magazine, New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the IRA/CBC and more. Her poetry and rhyming picture books have been called "as pithy and clever as Ogden Nash at his best" (Kirkus), and reminiscent of Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian and Jack Prelutsky.

Linda lives in Colorado with her husband, Jack Hicks, their son Jackson, and their two dogs. Visit www.lindaashman.com for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe a clown is better than a magician at a birthday party, June 20, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Maxwell's Magic Mix-Up (School & Library Binding)

On Louise's seventh birthday the hired entertainer calls in sick and her parents have to find a last minute replacement. Unfortunately they hire Maxwell the Magician, who shows up and in short order turns the birthday girl into a rock, her father into a broom, and the guests into all sorts of animals. Fortunately Alex, the nephew of Maxwell the Magician, shows up on the scene to put everything to rights.

"Maxwell's Magic Mix-Up"is written in witty quatrains by Linda Ashman, who has attended many birthday parties without anybody ever being turned into a rock. The mixed media illustrations are by amateur magician Regan Dunnick working on his first children's book. Young readers will enjoy the utter chaos of Maxwell the Magician's magic show and will like the fact that it is young Alex who saves the day.

5.0 out of 5 stars fun and wit combine together in a great story, August 5, 2008

By 

D. Lowery (San Ramon, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Maxwell's Magic Mix-up (Hardcover)

A very funny story, great rhyming, and a delightful denouement. A well-planned birthday party goes awry when an incompetent magician turns half the party guests and family into various animals or objects. The magician has to call for help, his little nephew, to solve the problem. Or is it all part of the act? Anyway, this tale is great fun.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, December 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Maxwell's Magic Mix-up (Hardcover)

This is a 'read aloud' favorite! The rhythm and the beat really fly. A great birthday gift!