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The Magician's Elephant Paperback – March 8, 2011

by
Kate DiCamillo (Author)
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Kate DiCamillo (Author), Yoko Tanaka (Illustrator)
4.4 out of 5 stars 280 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Age Range: 8 - 12 years
  • Grade Level: 3 - 7
  • Lexile Measure: 730L (What's this?)
  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (March 8, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0763652989
  • ISBN-13: 978-0763652982
  • Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (280 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsWill recommend this book for all ages
By Jessica Ferguson VINE VOICE on September 8, 2009
Format: Hardcover
The Magician's Elephant is parable/allegory/fable/fairytale and modern kid lit extraordinaire. The tale is somber and atmospheric but the overall feel of the story is one of hope. The characters are quirky and magic lingers on every page. More a novella, it is a quick read of a few hours even for a young reader. I don't recommend putting it off but this is one of those books to be pulled out on a snowy night in front of the fire to be read out loud with your family.

I won't detail the events as the jacket flap and other reviewers are sure to do it but I will say that if you are a fan of DiCamillo's there is no way you should pass up this book. This will seem impossible to you (as it does to me) but her writing is getting even better and with this story I think we may be seeing the beginning of a transcendence to the creation of a storyteller easily in league with Aesop, the Brothers Grimm and Frank L. Baum. I am aware that sounds sycophantic - trust me I am not. In fact, I would really like to hate her for writing so well, as an aspiring writer myself, but there is no denying the quality of this story.

There is a very visual and cinematic quality to the writing that keeps the reader engaged. It is difficult to stop thinking about Peter, Adele, the elephant, the magician, and all the others just because the book is closed.

I sincerely hope adults will pick this book up as well - especially those who have already discovered the pleasures of good children's literature.
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5.0 out of 5 starsMagical, magical, magical.
By Robert Busko VINE VOICE on September 14, 2009
Format: Hardcover
At age 60 some might say that I'm far too old to be a fan of Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant. Wouldn't that be a shame? I became a fan of DiCamillo's when I read The Tale of Despereaux and later the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Whatever lessons are intended for the young are not lost on those of us that are a generation or two further along in our visit on the planet.

Kate DiCamillo's stories are charming, well thought out and always provide interesting characters to carry the tale forward. Engaging is a word most applicable when discussing The Magicians Elephant. Is there anything more important for a storyteller?

Like the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician's Elephant is an odyssey involving a string of characters each providing to the story in some small manner. Besides spinning an interesting tale, characterization is DiCamillo's best talent.

In the Magician's Elephant the main character, Peter, has been told that his sister Adele is dead. Wanting desperately to believe Adele isn't dead Peter wanders into the tent of a fortuneteller. Given one question to ask (he actually gets two) Peter is given to believe that his sister is still alive and he is told that an elephant will lead him to her. At this point the reader is hooked.

Will Peter find Adele? Read the book and see. Like so many of life's journeys it isn't the destination but the trip that matters.

I have a granddaughter who is five. I'm torn about reading this story to her or waiting for her to grow and let her discover these stories on her own. I think I'll opt to read The Magician's Elephant to her. That will be two gifts, one for her and one for me.

I can't recommend The Magician's Elephant more strongly.

Peace always.
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4.0 out of 5 starsMagic and mayhem.
By James May on November 9, 2009
Format: Hardcover
The Magician's Elephant is an enchanting tale about a young boy that makes a rather difficult decision: spend his money on bread or on a fortune teller that appeared within the town walls? The young lad opts for the latter and learns that an elephant will lead him to his lost sister. Seems odd? Peter realizes that the fortune offers hope that his sister is still alive somewhere. During a magic show, an elephant makes a rather strange appearance and now Peter believes there may be something to the fortune.

While the story does share similarities with stories long ago, it is Kate DiCamillo that really captures the imagination and delivers the story fluidly and with moments of tension and amazement. The story is rather straight forward and the surprises are kept to a minimum. The book is a quick read but still manages to develop the characters in a richly detailed depth that will capture the reader from the first page. I only gave it 4-stars because I just finished reading Mary Stewart's timeless masterpiece "The Crystal Cave" and while I enjoyed The Magician's Elephant it doesn't quite live up to the book I read prior.
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3.0 out of 5 starsChildren's book written for adults
By The Library Lady on November 8, 2009
Format: Hardcover
As an adult reader, I enjoyed The Magician's Elephant, but as a piece of children's literature, I was quite dissappointed in it. While this is a relatively short book, it is dense to say the least. The themes of lonliness, truth, and forgiveness are a bit heavy for a children's book. The whole atmosphere of the book is bleak, and it is populated by characters lost in their own despair. While the last chapter does offer hope, the entire rest of the book is quite dismal. On top of this, the book is wholly without action. While there may be a few children out there who may enjoy this book, I believe the majority will not. I am a big fan of DiCamillo's other books, but in this book she has drifted too far from what children want to read about for this book to truly be considered chilren's literature.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsWhat a beautiful story. My family listened to the audiobook version...

What a beautiful story. My family listened to the audiobook version read by Juliet Stevenson (the British actress), and it was so wonderful. We cried and laughed. Read more

Published 5 days ago by Frequent Amazon Shopper
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

My daughter's favorite book

Published 16 days ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great book!

Published 1 month ago by RS
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

beautifully written and uplifting. A little magic in a story is always good

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Kate is so clever and imaginative, and it's true thru the entire book!

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsA wonderful story

This is a beautifully written, magical tale that I enjoyed so much. I would recommend this story to young and old alike. Read more

Published 2 months ago by CaHa
5.0 out of 5 starsI love the beauty and depth of this seemingly simple children's ...

I love the beauty and depth of this seemingly simple children's story. I'm re-reading it to my 5 year old and enjoying it just as much as the first time. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Fairchilds
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

My son loved it!

Published 2 months ago by Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

lovely fanciful read

Published 2 months ago by Laura Sanborn
5.0 out of 5 starsRead 4 fun!

If you've got kids, look into Kate DiCmillo's books. She writes at many levels, and my students have loved every book we have read aloud. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Snoozers

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