The Magician's Elephant

Kate DiCamillo conjures a haunting fable about trusting the unexpected and making the extraordinary come true.

What if? Why not? Could it be?

When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant An elephant will lead him there ) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it's true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes -- hope and belonging, desire and compassion -- with the lightness of a magician's touch.

Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 09/08/2009
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 7.76h x 5.58w x 0.76d
ISBN: 9780763644109
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5
Point Value: 4
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 133242 / Magician's Elephant


Award: Minnesota Book Award - Winner
Award: Massachusetts Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Delaware Diamonds Award - Nominee
Award: Flicker Tale Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Delaware Diamonds Award - Nominee
Award: Parents Choice Awards (Fall) (2008-Up) - Recommended
Award: Colorado Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Kentucky Bluegrass Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 07/01/2009 pg. 63
Voice of Youth Advocates 08/01/2009 - Recommended - Better Than Most
School Library Journal 08/01/2009 pg. 102
Kirkus Review - Children 08/01/2009
Publishers Weekly 08/17/2009 pg. 63
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2009 pg. 557
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2009
New York Times Book Review 12/06/2009 pg. 46
New York Times Book Review 12/13/2009 pg. 26
Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/2010 pg. 13
ALA Notable Children's Books 03/01/2010 pg. 26
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2010 - Superior,Well Above Average
Foreword 08/17/2009
BookPage 09/01/2009

About the Author
Kate DiCamillo is the author of The Tale of Despereaux, which was awarded the Newbery Medal; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor winner; The Tiger Rising, a National Book Award Finalist; the picture book Great Joy; and six books starring Mercy Watson, including a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. She lives in Minneapolis.

Yoko Tanaka is a graduate of the Art Center College in Pasadena, California. She is the illustrator of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers, and Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker. Yoko Tanaka lives in Los Angeles and Bangkok.