Hedgehog's Magic Tricks - Hardcover

Paul, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763663859 ISBN 13: 9780763663858

Publisher: Candlewick, 2013

Synopsis

A gentle picture book demonstrates that sometimes a little help from friends is all the magic you need.

Like many amateur magicians, Hedgehog finds that his tricks don’t always proceed as planned. Mouse doesn’t quite disappear, Rabbit (being larger than Hedgehog) is difficult to pull from the hat, and Duckling is not quite brave enough to endure a turn as magician’s helper. But when Hedgehog’s friends see how sad he is, they provide a surprise that results in everyone agreeing that Hedgehog is very good at magic after all. Preschoolers will delight in the sweet illustrations and in seeing what Hedgehog doesn’t — his friends helping to make his day magical.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Paul is an award-winning author and illustrator from New Zealand. She draws on everyday life for inspiration and ideas, and is particularly interested in how people get along. She lives in the country with her husband and two young sons in a straw-bale house powered by its own remote electricity system.

Reviews

PreS-K-With his audience of friends watching, Hedgehog sets Mouse upon a top hat. He covers her with a blanket, waves his magic wand, and utters the word, "Abracadabara!" Pulling back the blanket, he reveals Mouse, who has failed to vanish. Hedgehog attempts again with another assistant, Rabbit, with no success. After a third failed attempt, a very despondent Hedgehog sits forlornly, his wand broken. Luckily, his friends soon save his magic show by way of a lovely cake that together they make disappear (thanks to some big appetites). The whimsical illustrations are rendered in watercolor, pencil, and digital media. A sweet story about the magic of friendship.-Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Hedgehog does magic tricks—he tries, anyway—with the help of his animal buddies. First he hides Mouse under a kerchief and utters “abracadabra” to make Mouse disappear. Hmm. It doesn’t work. Next he tries Rabbit, but he pulls Rabbit’s ears too hard. Duckling courageously offers to be the third helper, but once inside the magic cardboard box, Duckling decides it’s too scary and bolts. The sparse text only gives the very basics of the story, cleverly allowing for young readers to examine the illustrations to figure out the whole picture of what is happening. So, when the friends bring a cake and it “disappears,” readers will see what Hedgehog doesn’t—namely that it was eaten out of existence. Paul’s pencil and digital artwork is of the fuzzy, cuddly pastel variety, with each animal a smiling, bright-eyed wildlife friend. At its heart, this gentle story is about empathy—always a good lesson for kids learning the push and pull of a social world. Preschool-Grade 1. --Patricia Austin

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763663859
• ISBN 13: 9780763663858
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Paul Ruth
• Number of pages: 32