The Magic Skateboard

Danny's regular old skateboard is transformed temporarily by a mysterious woman into a magical flying skateboard that will take Danny anywhere in the world.

Grade 3-5-- Skateboard lovers will enjoy this beguiling British fantasy. On his way home from school for Christmas vacation, Danny meets a strange old lady who borrows and transforms his skateboard. She tells him that it will do whatever he wishes until his watch chimes. Doubting her, he starts with mild tests of its climbing power and then, excited by the possibilities, embarks on a series of quick trips: to a summer beach, to visit his cousin in Paris, and finally to the Queen's own bathroom in Buckingham Palace. (He had to go). Danny is a likable if not especially distinctive character and his adventures have a quick pace and easy-to-read charm and humor. Ormerod's black-and-white silhouettes and ink drawings capture the liveliness of the text and are especially effective in portraying the mysterious woman who gives away some of her time. --Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A half-hour of magical events occupies an entire chapter book: Danny's meeting with an ominous-looking woman takes a turn for the best when he lets her try his skateboard. After she vanishes, wishing him Christmas cheer, he discovers that if he imagines skateboarding in a particular place he'll be there- -whether it's up the side of a building, high above the Eiffel Tower, or zooming through space (as captured in Ormerod's lively drawings). After using Queen Elizabeth's royal bathroom, he heads home and the magic lapses; but Danny now believes himself capable of new and amazing tricks on his own--and thus is. This earnest tale of wishes fulfilled is a little too drawn out for good readers; the only suspense is provided by Danny's not knowing how long the magic will last. But fans of the sport who occasionally open a book may find this one to their liking. (Fiction. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.