The Wizard [Paperback]

Bill, Jr. Martin (Author), Alex Schaefer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997 | Age Level: 3 and up

Up in the tower room a wizard and his assistants are mixing a potion and casting a spell. Join in as they dance and sing and twinkle and wing around a bubbling cauldron until poof--someone disappears! Martin's rhythmic text and Schaefer's exuberant illustrations make The Wizard a magical picture book for very young children. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aided by his assistants--a frolicsome frog, an albino rat and a green gnome--a wizard prepares to cast a spell, reciting all the while. "I dance. I sing. I twinkle. I wing," he proclaims, maneuvering acrobatically around his workshop until he lands in his bubbling cauldron: "I disappear!" First-time illustrator Schaefer, working in glowing oils, makes the most of Martin's ( Old Devil Wind ) jaunty but minimalist rhymes, creating scenes so full of activity that they fairly zip off the page. The wizard, a weirdly plastic figure, makes stardust with glowing stars and a handheld cheese grater; is rated (e.g., "9.5"; "10") by his assistants on the fierceness of his growl; and plays ping-pong over his cauldron while a beetle uses the net as a high-wire. In other scenes, the rat surfs on a wave cresting in the cauldron and the frog skies down a hill of bubbles. A high-energy, if slight, romp, with an agreeably puzzling ending: Is the wizard's disappearance the accidental result of overexuberance, or the intended culmination of carefully orchestrated spells? Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?A lively wizard and his various assistants cast a spell, with much joy and playful mishaps along the way. The wizard briefly narrates: "I flip. I flop. I dee-dip. I dop." Schaefer's oil-paint illustrations match the musicality of Martin's brief, rhyming text. Each double-page spread is full of swirling motion and humorous activity. The wizard's assistants are an amusing bunch: a beetle, a rat, a toad, an owl, and a green gremlinlike creature. They engage in amusing antics as the spell progresses. The toad skis on bubbles (while the wizard slides and slips on soap skates); the beetle tightrope walks across the ping-pong net. As the spell nears completion, the scene gets even wilder, culminating in an appropriate final spread: "Poooooooof! I disappear!" At times the rhythm of the text can be lost as readers pause at each spread to peruse the details. It takes some time to take in all that's going on before getting to the second half of the rhyme on the next spread. Since most kids will want to read the book more than once, they'll enjoy spotting the details the second time around.?Steven Engelfried, West Lynn Library, OR
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 36 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015201568X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152015688
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,679,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Martin Jr, an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet, held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. His many books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let this wizard enchant your child for a lifetime, May 6, 2000

By 

nikki workman - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wizard (Paperback)

"The Wizard by Author Bill Murray Jr. is a must-read romp with a jolly wizard and his pals. Adults won't mind reading this story over and over again to their child. This is the most requested book from my well-stocked bookshelf. Evocative illustrations by Alex Schaefer echo the swirling text. Find something new each time you open this fun story. Each page is a morsel. Simple but sweet, this family favorite will leave you wanting to go back to the beginning and read it again.