The Missing Trick - Hardcover

Jacobs, Robin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1908714948 ISBN 13: 9781908714947

Publisher: Cicada Books, 2021

Synopsis

A funny yet empowering story about a child, who unaware of his own talents, creates a diverse community around him, delighting in his show.

''This is an adorable story, complemented by energetic, fun illustrations. The art excels at showing the growing happy crowd of diverse spectators enjoying Louis’s capers, and it’s hard not to smile and shout “Hooray!” along with them''. -- Youth Services Book Review

''A sweet picture book read about embracing the unexpected, THE MISSING TRICK will delight young readers with its simplicity and magic''. -- YA and Kids Central

''A fun and # inclusive picture book with lots to explore''. -- CILIP School Libraries Group

''A magical story about talent and self-belief, that acts as a reminder that sometimes distractions can mean we miss the magic happening right in front of us''. ✨-- Paper Ren

''A simple yet powerful book…Aimee Wright's beautifully illustrated audience are diverse too - meaning every child reading this book can relate to the people they see shown on the pages''.
-- The Value's Bookshelf 

''An entirely clever and brilliantly illustrated story. I can’t recommend this one highly enough!'' -- My Shelves Are Full

 

Meet Louis… Every little thing he does is MAGIC!

Louis is a young street magician. He is setting up for his show but he can’t find his rabbit anywhere. He looks inside his hat but finds only a bouquet of flowers, which is caught by a passing woman as he throws it away in disgust. He looks under his cups, spilling out dozens of balls, which are pounced upon by a group of kids. An endless string of scarves comes out of his sleeve and is wrapped around the neck of a posh lady.... With each trick, his audience grows, and unbeknownst to Louis, his show is unfolding brilliantly... But WHERE could that pesky rabbit be hiding???

Finally, Louis looks in his bag…. climbs in it…. and disappears. Now the rabbit AND Louis are missing! The audience hold their breaths until, POOF! Louis appears on the table in a puff of smoke. They erupt in a roar of applause. Louis, bemused, notices them for the first time. He takes off his cap to take a bow. The rabbit is sitting on his head.

An adorable story to enjoy time and again, complemented by energetic, fun illustrations by newcomer Aimee Wright.

About this title

About the Authors

Robin Jacobs is an advertising creative and writer living and working in Bristol. Having trained originally in illustration, she runs screenprinting workshops around the UK and has curated a childrens’ print fair in Bristol. She is the author of You Are Here (Cicada, 2015), Don't Hug The Pug (Cicada, 2019) and the critically acclaimed non-fiction children's title Earth-Shattering Events (Cicada, 2019).

Aimee Wright is a young, Northumberland-based illustrator. Graduating with First Class Honours from Leeds Arts University in 2019, she has since worked with a range of clients. Her pen-and ink characters are inspired by the work of classic illustrators such as Pat Hutchins and Eric Hill.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 3—For readers who have had that day, the one where they can't find the one thing they are looking for, this is the book. Louis, an aspiring magician, is setting up for his magic show but can't find his rabbit. As he looks through all of his magic tricks, a crowd starts to gather. Each discarded piece of equipment brings a surprise to the onlookers, who are more and more impressed with each trick. Louis is oblivious to the crowd and their impressions because he's so intent on finding the rabbit. The finale is funny and a bit of a surprise. Young readers will enjoy this for the brevity of the text and the depth of detail in the warm, engaging, highly energetic art work. It tells more of the story than the deadpan text; readers will love poring over the pages and seeking out the details. VERDICT A fun and enjoyable read.—Debbie Tanner

Edition details

• Publisher: Cicada Books
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908714948
• ISBN 13: 9781908714947
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Wright Aimee
• Number of pages: 32