First sentence: Family Fun Day at the library was filled with exciting events. Book scavenger hunts. Storytelling. Reading rallies. Today, for the first time, a magician arrived with a bag of tricks and a BIG hat.
Premise/plot: Do libraries need visiting magicians to be magical places? NO! But in this picture book, a magician who loves books happens to be visiting. He tells the children that books are magic, that books can take you to places you've only dreamed about. The book does seem to be occupied chiefly with associating books with occupations. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "I've got a book for that in my hat!" (The quotes are NOT from the book, just my summing up of the book's plot.)
My thoughts: I love books. I love reading. I love the message that books can be magical. But. I didn't quite love this one. Books aren't only for figuring out what you want to do in life. That is such a narrow, narrow focus of what books have to offer readers. There are hundreds of reasons why kids might pick up a book. There are hundreds--if not thousands--of reasons why adults might continue to read books.
Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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