The Magic Hare

Banks, Lynne Reid

ISBN 10: 0688108962 ISBN 13: 9780688108960

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 1993

Synopsis

The author of The Mystery of the Cupboard and an award-winning illustrator collaborate in a collection of ten tales about the Magic Hare, who, depending on the situation, can be a clever trickster, a thoughtful friend, or a cunning magician.

About this title

About the Author:

Lynne Reid Banks is a bestselling author for both children and adults. She grew up in London and became first an actress and then one of the first woman TV reporters in Britain before turning to writing. She now has more than forty books to her credit. Her classic children's novel, The Indian in the Cupboard, has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and was made into a popular feature film. Lynne lives with her husband in Dorset, England.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-6-Move over Raven, Coyote, and Anansi. Here's a new trickster with dancing feet and sharp wits. As Banks explains in the introduction, this hare must not be confused with a rabbit. He stops vampires and hiccups with a flip of his tail, and he doesn't merely hop. In one story, he jumps so high that he reaches the moon, and his dancing is so jolly that it turns a nasty queen into a pleasant one. This collection of 10 tales is varied in setting, character, and content. Hare helps an agoraphobic young woman overcome her fears, chases a dragon, and gives the demure harebell its name. Perhaps the most unusual and thought-provoking selection is about a witch who's working on closing the hole in the ozone layer. "The Hare and the Vampire" just begs to be told aloud, as does "The Hare with the Diamond Tail." Bank's pithy style creates episodes that are brief, but well developed and full of deadpan humor. She explores some sophisticated themes- prejudice, self-esteem, environmentalism-but the stories are never didactic. Moser's trademark watercolor portraits capture both the wildness and intelligence in Hare's eyes. The spoiled queen looks as nasty as Mary Lennox before she finds her secret garden, the giants Dismal and Horrible most definitely are that, the vampire looks horrendous, and the witch is a woman not to be messed with. A delightful modern collection with a feel of the classics.
Cheri Estes, Dorchester Road Regional Library, Charleston, SC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0688108962
• ISBN 13: 9780688108960
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 49
• Illustrator: Moser Barry