The Magician's Elephant

The Magicians elephant is a wonderful brilliant book. In The Magicians Elephant the main charecters are Peter Augustus a young boy also the main charecter Vilna Lutz,retired soldier also Peters care taker, Madam Lavaughn very rich lady, The magician, The Elephant, The Police Man Peters friend, and Adele, Peter's little sister. The setting is in Baltese.

In this story it starts with Peter living with Vilna Lutz because his parents both died. Peter has dreams and remembers that he has a little siter but keeps being told that she died a still birth, but Peter still doesn't believe Vilna Lutz he has a feeling she's still alive. Peter was asked to go down to the market to buy fish and bread but he only has enough money for just those two things. When he gets to the market he see's that there is a foretuneteller there and he spends the money on the foretuneteller to tell him one thing and he asked if his sister was alive. The foretuneteller said, " There will be an Elelphant that will take you to her." But that wasn't enough for Peter he didn't know of any Elephants so he left. Then the Magician comes to town and Madam Lavaughn was attending his show and was in the frount row, and the magician said he was going to make it a rememerable show and so he did. When the magician said his magic words he was just really intending for Lillys to give to Madam Lavaughn but instead by his surprise an Elelphant crashes through the ceiling and lands on Madam Lavaughn's lap. The Elelphant came out of nowhere the Magician said and Madam Lavaughns legs where crushed. The Magician gets locked up and the Elephant too. That night when Peter heard the news he had a dream that showed his little sister Adele alive but he couldn't see where but the Elelphant was there too. When he woke up he told himself that he was going to see the Elephant for himself and she if she will lead him to Adele. Peter goes off and gets in a very long line to see the Elephant but when he got inside he got up to her eye and ear and said," If you can hear me please take me to my sister Adele but the Elephant did not answer she was to sad because she was locked uo and wanted to go home so Peter made a promise that he would get her from being locked up and take her home.While all of this was happening on the other side of town Adele was in a girls orphanage and she was looking outside the window wondering if there was anyone out there that cared for her she was lonely. Adele also had a dream that an Elephant would bring someone to her but she didn't know who.

Will Peter get the Elephant home and be lead to his sister Adele that he still believes is alive? Read the book to find out.

I really liked this book. It had a great story line and was fun to read a page turner and an easy read.
I liked the story line because it shows how a Brother (Peter) works so hard at trying to find his sister and never gives up. Peter shows great courage and shows us as readers that anything can be accomplished if we believe it can and the unimpossible can happen.The story was interesting not like one of those boring storys, it was full of details and made the book good to read. This is a good book for all to read. Also, this book is a page turner because once you read the first page you get hooked and just want to keep reading more and more. The book never get boreing to read. Some books can be reallt boreing and you end up not reading the book all the way because you get bored easily but The Magicians Elephant is not a boreing book. I would recomend this book to anyone who loves a good page turner and a great story line.

I give this book and Four star Rate because it was so good and it deserves four stars.

I love a good heroic boy and you will find this in Peter, a small boy living with a damaged veteran who has kept the truth from him his whole life. As the book unfolds you will find magic, fortunes being told, appearances and disappearance, but throughout this the book, it is the altruism of Peter and the effect it has on those around him, that saves the day. A lovely read.

I'd been waiting for just the right book to send to a nine-year-old I met last month. After getting my opportunity to enjoy THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT, I knew that I'd found what I'd been waiting for. I immediately mailed it off to her.

And, yet, there are so many layers and so much to consider in Kate DiCamillo's upcoming tale of the possible that I will not be in the least surprised when someone employs it as the subject of a Master's thesis.

Standing under a street lamp on a back lane in San Francisco, reading in the shivery night breeze off of the Bay, I was taken up and transported to late 1800s Baltese.

"Leo Matienne had the soul of a poet, and because of this, he liked very much to consider questions that had no answers.

"He liked to ask 'What if?" and 'Why not?' and 'Could it possibly be?'"

I'm a proud and unrepentant dreamer. I feel no shame for asking the sort of questions that Leo -- a short policeman with an impossibly large mustache -- asks. I chafe at being informed that "That's just the way it is." or "There's nothing that can be done about it." or that "Rules are there for a reason and need to be followed." I'm just dumb enough or crazy enough to believe that anything can happen. And so a story about how -- when everyone comes together -- they can make anything come true is sweet music to my soul.

Amidst a cold, endless, dark and gray winter without snow, the young orphan Peter Augustus Duchene has been informed by a fortuneteller that his little sister, Adele, is actually alive -- contrary to what Peter's guardian, a former soldier, has always stated. But where, then, is Adele? The fortuneteller tells Peter that the elephant will lead him to his sister.

But that is impossible! There are no elephants so far from Africa and India, in a miserably cold, gray place like Baltese.

(At least not yet.)

Enter the elephant:

"Not far from the Apartments Polonaise, across the rooftops and through the darkness of the winter night, stood the Bliffendorf Opera House, and that evening upon its stage, a magician of advanced years and failing reputation performed the most astonishing magic of his career.

"He intended to conjure a bouquet of lilies, but instead, the magician brought forth an elephant.

"The elephant came crashing through the ceiling of the opera house amid a shower of plaster dust and roofing tiles and landed in the lap of a noblewoman, a certain Madam Bettine La Vaughn, to whom the magician had intended to present the bouquet.

"Madam LaVaughn's legs were crushed. She was thereafter confined to a wheelchair and given to exclaiming often, and in a voice of wonder, in the midst of some conversation that had nothing at all to do with elephants or roofs, 'But perhaps you do not understand. I was crippled by an elephant! Crippled by an elephant that came through the roof!'

"As for the magician, he was immediately, at the behest of Madam LaVaughn, imprisoned."

So now there's an elephant, but things seem even more impossibly out of sorts. This poor elephant, who never sought a trip to the opera and who is now so far away from home and her loving family, is being held captive in an undisclosed location by the police. How will Peter track down the elephant and then persuade her to lead him to Adele? What of the magician whose hubris has caused such pain but may now be the catalyst for so much joy?

In the end, it will take everyone's involvement -- including Madam LaVaughn's -- to make the impossible possible.

"'What if?'

"'Why not?'

"'Could it possibly be?"'

Just imagine what real world problems could be solved if we all joined forces to do so.

I fell in love with the writing of Kate DiCamillo while earning my Master's in education and teaching elementary students. I absolutely love her use of language and her books are some of my favorite to read aloud (Tale of Despareaux, Winn Dixie, etc.).

The language in this book is elegant and smooth, it's like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter's day. Very descriptive and flowery--she's certainly not afraid to use vocabulary that children may not be familiar with butsounds beautiful when read aloud.

That being said, this is not my favorite story. I have no doubt that there are plenty of children who will love this book and the story, but for me it felt a little lacking compared to her other rich stories. I'll be passing this off to a few young cousins to see how they like it.

A young boy named Peter was separated from sister when his parents died. The man who took him in says she died as well, but Peter doesn't believe that. Then Peter comes across a traveling gypsy who predicts some pretty crazy things: She says an elephant will lead him to his sister. Because of what the gypsy said and the small town he lives in, the prediction sounds ridiculous. But to Peter it's a rainbow of hope.

Kate DiCamillo always seems to pull that heart string by adding animals to people. This is another caring tale that proves nothing keeps family apart. A quick, touching read.

"The Magician's Elephant" is a perfect fable... it reads like a simply complex fairy tale and deals mainly with loneliness. A magician causes an elephant (accidentally) to appear from the air (he intended flowers) and into the audience at his show. A boy is told by a fortune teller that his sister lives though he's been told she's dead and that an elephant will lead him to her. So when he learns that the magician conjured the wild animal he knows he has to find it. With the help of a friendly policeman, the boy goes off on his journey for familial love. The story's tone is both bleak and sweet with some breathtaking moments. Yoko Tanaka, the book's illustrator, has a gift for creating drawings that perfectly capture the book's innocent yet wary spirit.

This is a highly recommended read for kids and adults of all ages. I can't wait to read this one to my daughter and am also recommending it to my husband.

-Sonia Pereira Murphy, author of "Snow Spell" available on Kindle.

I purchased this for my 9 year old, who was so excited to read it, as she liked some other KDC books. But then I had to bug her to read it, and eventually I gave up. She only got 2/3 thru. I finally listed it on paperback swap. Sooo, my point is that this was not exactly riveting to my child, who whizzed thru the Potter series, and many other books, both fantasy and mystery and realistic fiction. Just one person's experience though. Wish we had gotten this one from our library.

How often does an elephant fall through your roof? Thankfully, it's something that doesn't happen to me on a regular basis!

The Magician's Elephant provides readers with a gloomy setting, an array of odd characters, and a young boy searching to discover his past.

Time stops in town of Baltese as an elephant suddenly crashed through the ceiling of the Bliffendorf Opera House during a magic show. The magician swears he only wanted lillies to appear, but he got an elephant instead. How could this happen? Everyone in the town suddenly is focused on the elephant. Nothing else seems to matter. Conversations begin and end with words of the elephant's appearance. Where did this elephant come from? How is this possible? What does this event mean? The Magician's Elephant is a third-person omniscient narrative that displays the characters in the book contemplating these questions. The characters range from a countess to a beggar and his dog. The elephant crashing through the roof has a major effect on the town and each individual that lives there.

I would endorse The Magician's Elephant to most kids and all adults. The vocabulary at some points can be difficult and overwhelming, so I would recommend this book to fifth grade and up. It teaches empathy, morals, and humanity. There is not a ton of "action" in the book, but the attention to detail and the thought-provoking plot should keep you interested. The Magician's Elephant is a quick and must read.

Books don't need to be complicated to be beautiful. The Magician's Elephant is simple, elegant, and well written. The characters are wonderfully individual. I absolutely loved the journey of self-discovery that Peter goes on and the things he learns along the way. This is a story of love, magic, and the way our lives are all intertwined. It is about the impossible coming true.

Kids (and adults) ages 8 and up will love this book.

Living in a cold attic apartment with a fierce retired military officer, Peter, is subjected to a harsh life in order to prepare him for a future in the military. Having been told by the officer that his parents and sister are dead, Peter is still troubled by the sense that his sister is alive and needs him. Sent to the market with a coin to buy fish and bread, Peter spends it on a fortuneteller instead. The fortuneteller
confirms that his sister lives and tells him cryptically that he must "follow theelephant," when there is no elephant in the city of Baltese. Yet.

That very evening, an elderly, fading magician is performing at the Bliffendorf Opera House. In an attempt to perform real magic, he decides to conjure a bouquet of lilies to hand to the noblewoman sitting close to the front. Instead, his spell produces an elephant which comes crashing through the ceiling, landing on the noblewoman's legs. She finds herself
confined to a wheelchair, the magicianfinds himself confined to jail, and the baffled elephant is imprisoned in a stable.

The author weaves these extremely disparate strands into a cohesive, entertaining whole. The good-heartedness of Peter, his lost sister living in the local orphanage,a kindly police officer -- not to mention, the elephant -- all combine to bring this highly original story to an amazing conclusion.

Kate DiCamillo is such an expressive writer. This book will boost your emotions like you have never experienced before! It gives you the feeling that you are there, in the moment with the characters. You feel like you're going back in time, to the magical city of Baltese as you read. You can explore it so deeply. It's amazing! There is so much switching of feelings; There is a huge theme of hope and despair. The characters are having hopeful times, and despairing times, and then they're hoping, and feeling sad, and happy . . .
It is mostly about believing the unbelievable, with its splash of magic. It really makes you very happy, and very sad, fast!

Kate DiCamillo's new work, The Magician's Elephant, takes a little bit of warming up to early on, but the simple and sometimes poetic prose combined with the fairy tale/fable-like atmosphere and style starts to win the reader over, first charming them then moving them. By the end, which comes quickly since it's more novella than novel, both the prose and emotional impact have deepened and intensified making this a novella well worth reading oneself and to one's children.
The book opens up intriguingly enough, with a young orphan (Peter) having just spent the coin he was given to buy bread or to purchase the answer to a single question from a fortune-teller. The question might have been: is my sister, whom I've been told is dead by the old soldier who now cares for me, really dead? But luckily the fortune-teller spits out the answer before Peter can phrase his question. Instead, he asks how he can find his way to her. The answer is "The Magician's Elephant." A frustrating response in a city that has never seen an elephant, but a few days later a worn-down magician in a flash of frustrated pride, seeks to do some spectacular magic for once and accidentally conjures an elephant that falls through the opera house's roof and crushed a lady's legs. The magician and the elephant are both imprisoned and the tale gently unfolds of how the two come together with Peter, along with a surprisingly large cast of characters for such a slim book: the childless couple who live below Peter, the lady whose legs were crushed, her servant, a stone-carver, and a few others.
The story moves to its semi-predictable plot points as fairy tales and fables usually do--the originality lies in the steps themselves, not where the steps take you. And because this is more fable/fairy-tale than a full narrative, one also doesn't look for depth of character. The characters are sketched out quickly and efficiently, as much forms of sadness as they are characters in their own right, but one is still moved by their thoughts and actions. The very simplicity of the language allows, oftentimes, for the emotion underneath to shine through more clearly in the reader's mind, not bogged down by swirling sentences or overwrought words. Her concision, in other words, often packs a wallop, as when she describes a crowd of spectators: "And secretly within their hearts, even though they knew it could not truly be so, they each expected that the mere sight of the elephant would somehow deliver them, would make their wishes and hopes and desires come true." Simple words and phrasing but such aching need is conveyed.
DiCamillo is more poetic and eloquent in her setting details, but selectively so. The city, the market, other places are barely there as places--fitting the fable style. But she's a master of zooming into details at set moments: describing the fall of snow, for example, vividly and beautifully placing us in a uniquely lyrical moment if not a sharply-defined place. There are many such moments in the work, little prose-poems of delight.
The story can be dark and sorrowful, but this is always leavened by light--the light of hope usually (hope, in fact, I'd say is the driving force of this book and it gives nothing away to say that hope wins out in the end), but also the light of forgiveness, of self-awareness, of empathy and compassion for one's fellow creatures (animals included).
I had only a few minor complaints. One is a somewhat cold response by characters to the lady's legs being crushed--it was not only a bit off-putting from the characters themselves but also took me a bit out of the story as it seemed so unlikely. Another is the handling of Peter's awakening change toward soldiering and warfare, which seemed a bit overly-simplistic (even in a simple work) and a bit forced. Finally, one could perhaps such a large cast in such a slim work dilutes the emotional impact of each character's revelation or change a bit, though I didn't feel that way.
But as mentioned, these are minor complaints. I confess while I liked the very opening of the book, it then took me a few pages in to start to warm up to it. But I was soon pulled under by its spell of simple but lyrical prose and simple but enticing characters and by the end I had been deeply moved several times. It turned into a quietly magical reading experience and one I'd highly recommend. I should also mention that I think it's fine for children to read on their own, but even better--the storytelling voice--the pace and rhythm, the simple language, the occasional authorial intrusions, the book's brevity, all lead me to believe this would be a wonderful read-aloud book. I plan on trying it with my own seven-year-old son.

The Magician's Elephant is a story that probably hasn't found its way onto many book shelves inside homes yet. It is a newer book, but that does not mean that it isn't a good read. The Magician's Elephant is a book that is very versatile, it is a book that teachers can read to their students when teaching topics such as fables and metaphors, it can be read by parents who are looking for a book that is not just a story but a story that teaches principles about life, and it can even be appealing to children who want a book about mystery, finding answers, and fantasy.
Peter Augustus Duchene is the main character in this story. He is a young boy in the city of Baltese living with his adopted father Vilna Lutz. We are introduced to Peter as he enters Baltese with a question on his mind; "does my sister still live and if so how can I find her?" When Peter enters the city and sees a fortune teller's he cannot pass by until his question is answered. The fortune teller gives him an answer that is very unexpected, "An elephant will bring him there!" A day later when an elephant falls through the roof of the opera house at the hand of a magician, Peter is given hope that the fortune teller was, in fact, right. The elephant has just become the hope that Peter holds on to as he searches for his sister.
Hope is something that is hard to find, it evades us when we feel there is no hope left. The thing that I loved about this book is that it is a metaphor for hope. Often times in our lives we have questions that are sometimes followed by answers that don't make sense, but are followed by some sort of sign. Sometimes these signs bring us hope. This hope can come as suddenly and as noticeably as an elephant falling through a roof, but it can also come as a calm wave as we think about how things could be.
Books have many different purposes. Some books are written for pure entertainment, others are read for educational purposes. I believe that this book bridges the separation between educational and instructional. I would recommend for this book for these reasons. Read this book because you will be learning something through a very interesting story.

This was a beautifully written children's tale and one I would read to my children if I had any. There's not a lot of depth to the story and probably too many characters for such a short book. Overall, I liked the story and Peter.

Peter is a ten-year-old orphan who is being raised by a retired soldier. He has been told by the soldier that his sister died the day she was born but Peter has memories of a holding a crying baby. One day instead of buying bread he pays a fortuneteller who tells him an elephant will lead him to his sister. That night an elephant magically crashes through the opera house ceiling. Can this elephant really help Peter find his sister? A wonderful fantasy about love and hope.

I did not love this book at all. I listened to it on Audible as well as had a hard copy for a possible novel study for my elementary class. This book was so boring and I had a very hard time getting through it. Kate is such a good author so this was a surprise to me.

While I'm not sure about the middle grade designation for this book, I found it to be a highly enjoyable and beautifully written story that touches on some deeper themes that you don't always see in books for children. The illustrations are charming and add just the right touch. All in all, it's a pretty good read. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to fans of fairy tales and fables.

Peter Augustus Duchene does not wake up each day expecting his life to change. See, he is an orphan in the city of Baltese, his guardian Vilna Lutz is a crazy old codger of a soldier, and his life is anything but extraordinary. The only thing he hopes for is to one day grow up to be a brave and strong soldier like his father long ago. This is why he slaves away in hopeless obedience to his guardian, and this is why he happens to find himself standing in the market with a single florit coin in his hand, in front of a fortuneteller's tent.

A sign on the door reads: The most profound and difficult questions that could possibly be posed by the human mind or heart will be answered within for the price of one florit.

So Peter spends his boss's money and asks the questions that his heart has been dying to ask for years: Does his sister still live? And if she lives, then how can he make his way there to where she is? The answer is nothing he ever could have expected. "You must follow the elephant," the fortuneteller says.

Peter does not understand. He has never seen an elephant and does not know where to find one. Baltese in the winter is no place for an elephant. But he has grown up thinking his sister was born dead, and this is the only clue he has ever had. What if his guardian has not been telling the truth? Such a thought has never come to Peter, yet recent dreams have brought back strange childhood memories that have caused him to doubt his guardian and all he has grown up believing.

Meanwhile, across the wintry rooftops of the city, an old magician readies himself in the opera house for a very good illusion. "Magic is impossible," says the magician. "It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That is why it is magic." His intention is to have a bouquet of lilies fall from the ceiling into the arms of a high class woman. This is what he wants. This will be his great and final show. The Baltese people do not expect anything special anymore. They have worn themselves out expecting something special. So it is not surprising that both the expectant crowd and the magician alike are stunned to watch a life-size elephant thunder through the ceiling and crush a woman's legs. What, after all, are they supposed to do with something so impossible as that?

And what will that mean for our little orphan soldier?

From the author who gave readers BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, THE TALES OF DESPERAUX, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE and GREAT JOYcomes a tale of magic, courage, manhood, hope and light that lives up to everything we have grown to expect and love from Kate DiCamillo. THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT is the story of a boy and an elephant and the things that could happen if the world would only just believe. It is as true as it could possibly be. So come closer, dear readers, she is going to tell you a story.

--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Kate DiCamillo's new book is full of joy and hope set before a backdrop of accidental magic. This book works on so many different levels that it is easily appropriate as a read aloud for young audiences or independent reading for more mature readers. "The Magician's Elephant" clearly displays DeCamillo's growth as a writer. The story has elements of more familiar tales while creating a new world and sense of wonder that belongs to DeCamillo alone. This book is highly recommended for any audience.

Peter Augustus Duchene does not wake up each day expecting his life to change. See, he is an orphan in the city of Baltese, his guardian Vilna Lutz is a crazy old codger of a soldier, and his life is anything but extraordinary. The only thing he hopes for is to one day grow up to be a brave and strong soldier like his father long ago. This is why he slaves away in hopeless obedience to his guardian, and this is why he happens to find himself standing in the market with a single florit coin in his hand, in front of a fortuneteller's tent.

A sign on the door reads: The most profound and difficult questions that could possibly be posed by the human mind or heart will be answered within for the price of one florit.

So Peter spends his boss's money and asks the questions that his heart has been dying to ask for years: Does his sister still live? And if she lives, then how can he make his way there to where she is? The answer is nothing he ever could have expected. "You must follow the elephant," the fortuneteller says.

Peter does not understand. He has never seen an elephant and does not know where to find one. Baltese in the winter is no place for an elephant. But he has grown up thinking his sister was born dead, and this is the only clue he has ever had. What if his guardian has not been telling the truth? Such a thought has never come to Peter, yet recent dreams have brought back strange childhood memories that have caused him to doubt his guardian and all he has grown up believing.

Meanwhile, across the wintry rooftops of the city, an old magician readies himself in the opera house for a very good illusion. "Magic is impossible," says the magician. "It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That is why it is magic." His intention is to have a bouquet of lilies fall from the ceiling into the arms of a high class woman. This is what he wants. This will be his great and final show. The Baltese people do not expect anything special anymore. They have worn themselves out expecting something special. So it is not surprising that both the expectant crowd and the magician alike are stunned to watch a life-size elephant thunder through the ceiling and crush a woman's legs. What, after all, are they supposed to do with something so impossible as that?

And what will that mean for our little orphan soldier?

From the author who gave readers BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, THE TALES OF DESPERAUX, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE and GREAT JOYcomes a tale of magic, courage, manhood, hope and light that lives up to everything we have grown to expect and love from Kate DiCamillo. THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT is the story of a boy and an elephant and the things that could happen if the world would only just believe. It is as true as it could possibly be. So come closer, dear readers, she is going to tell you a story.

--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

I had been a fan of Kate DiCamilo's work before but this one fell short of what I expected it to be. It was very one dimensional and did not keep me on edge. It was also rather predictable. This book is a nice and soft read but isn't action-packed.

Kate DiCamillo is remarkable for many reasons, the least of which is not her ability to give characters unique and diversified voices. What's special about The Magician's Eleohant is her prose. It's brilliant and entirely makes up for the utter lack of action in this story.

The Magician's Elephant is parable/allegory/fable/fairytale and modern kid lit extraordinaire. The tale is somber and atmospheric but the overall feel of the story is one of hope. The characters are quirky and magic lingers on every page. More a novella, it is a quick read of a few hours even for a young reader. I don't recommend putting it off but this is one of those books to be pulled out on a snowy night in front of the fire to be read out loud with your family.

I won't detail the events as the jacket flap and other reviewers are sure to do it but I will say that if you are a fan of DiCamillo's there is no way you should pass up this book. This will seem impossible to you (as it does to me) but her writing is getting even better and with this story I think we may be seeing the beginning of a transcendence to the creation of a storyteller easily in league with Aesop, the Brothers Grimm and Frank L. Baum. I am aware that sounds sycophantic - trust me I am not. In fact, I would really like to hate her for writing so well, as an aspiring writer myself, but there is no denying the quality of this story.

There is a very visual and cinematic quality to the writing that keeps the reader engaged. It is difficult to stop thinking about Peter, Adele, the elephant, the magician, and all the others just because the book is closed.

I sincerely hope adults will pick this book up as well - especially those who have already discovered the pleasures of good children's literature.

This gem conveys in a bewitching wintry way the fact that a group of animals- blind dog, elephant, small white dog, and people- countess, soldier, cop, beggar, stonecarver, servant, magician and orphans can seemingly marginally know one another and yet so drastically come together to move mountains. Gorgeous and inspirational.

I just loved this story. My 7 year old daughter is an advanced reader for her age, and I bought this book thinking that we would read it out loud together. However, she has decided to read it on her own, and loves it. Still, some of the language and themes are, I think, a little advanced for her, so I wanted to read it myself so that I could help her if she encounters difficulty in her own reading. So far, she hasn't needed any help. I think she is probably missing some of the subtleties, but she loves the story nonetheless, and so I am thrilled. The book is almost poetic, and the imagery is just wonderful. It really is a book for the senses. I would highly recommend it as a read for all ages!

Many people write that they enjoyed this book, but I, as an eleven year old, found it to be quite terrible, actually. I felt it had no plot, or if there was one, I could not see it, and I felt that it was a lot of ideas thrown into a mixing pot and not very well stirred up. I was taken by surprise when I finished, because I have read some other Kate DiCamillo, and she is usually a wonderful author. If you are looking for books for eleven year old girls by Kate DiCamillo, may I suggest 'The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane', for example. I feel there are other books out there by Kate DiCamillo, that are all in all much better.

At age 60 some might say that I'm far too old to be a fan of Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant. Wouldn't that be a shame? I became a fan of DiCamillo's when I read The Tale of Despereaux and later the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Whatever lessons are intended for the young are not lost on those of us that are a generation or two further along in our visit on the planet.

Kate DiCamillo's stories are charming, well thought out and always provide interesting characters to carry the tale forward. Engaging is a word most applicable when discussing The Magicians Elephant. Is there anything more important for a storyteller?

Like the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician's Elephant is an odyssey involving a string of characters each providing to the story in some small manner. Besides spinning an interesting tale, characterization is DiCamillo's best talent.

In the Magician's Elephant the main character, Peter, has been told that his sister Adele is dead. Wanting desperately to believe Adele isn't dead Peter wanders into the tent of a fortuneteller. Given one question to ask (he actually gets two) Peter is given to believe that his sister is still alive and he is told that an elephant will lead him to her. At this point the reader is hooked.

Will Peter find Adele? Read the book and see. Like so many of life's journeys it isn't the destination but the trip that matters.

I have a granddaughter who is five. I'm torn about reading this story to her or waiting for her to grow and let her discover these stories on her own. I think I'll opt to read The Magician's Elephant to her. That will be two gifts, one for her and one for me.

I can't recommend The Magician's Elephant more strongly.

Peace always.

I will recommend this to all my patrons. I believe this will capture hearts both young and old. A book destined to become a classic. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure it won't be on the shelves in the library for me to recommend, as people will be waiting in line. Another Newberry for DiCamillo?

This was the first Dicamillo book I read and I already added all her other books to my wish list. It is indeed a very easy to read story that I finished in about an hour. The way Dicamillo tells the story got me hooked up from the beginning and after a while I found myself so mesmerized by the story that I smiled to myself. It is a magical fairy tale and a lovely one to read for a few nights in a row to a kid. It warmed my heart and if this is a story meant for children then I can say that for a while I was a dreamy kid again.

Kate DiCamillo must have under MUCH pressure from her publishers to submit a new book - this is really only a short story that has been padded with pictures (which are beautifully done) and excessive details and repetition. The writing was indeed lovely, but here's the problem....after reading this story aloud to my fourth grade class, only FOUR students raised their hands when I asked if anyone wanted to read the book again. Not a good sign.... I think Ms. DiCamillo is capable of producing something more substantial (along the lines of "Because of Winn Dixie"), and this book COULD have been meatier, but the plot, dialogue, and characters weren't quite there yet....

This is a lovely book, but not really a book for children. The themes are very adult, and the plot twists and multitude of characters are quite confusing. I read it with my 9 year old daughter, and we both felt that it was compelling enough that we wanted to finish it, but definitely not a favorite by any means.

I loved this book from the very first page. My 12 year old daughter and I were completely mesmerized. A perfect read aloud book if you don't mind some tears. Everything about this timeless, enchanting book is perfectly crafted. To my mind, a small masterpiece.

Wow, Reader, if you make up your mind about what to read/purchase/borrow at your library from these reviews, then pay attention to this one! :-)

I keep wondering, with each new book, Can Kate DiCamillo really do it again? Can she possibly make the magic again? And the answer is always a resounding YES.

I do not recall the last time I actually wept while reading a book, but I not only did while reading this one, I even know the page number that brought it about--but you have to weep on your own timetable, not someone else's! :-)

What amazes me is how the author actually includes, among all the magic, all the wonder, the dreams, the hopes, the heartaches, she actually works in there the practical means for dealing with those "dark nights of the soul," which, dreadfully, each young reader will probably face some day. When the hero is at his lowest ebb, she has him look his terrible loss head-on, dead-on; and he faces it, and grows stronger. Also, nearing that dreadful point, he is urged to eat. Such a simple lesson, and yet each child needs to know: if you can get your basic needs met, you can face what must be faced. When in despair, you must take care of the body, in order to take care of the soul.

Best of all, she asks the reader these questions, with this story: Can dreams come true? Can the impossible ever really happen? Can happy endings not only happen, but happen with such deep meaning?

And she manages all of that without soppiness, syrup, goo, or becoming maudlin.

She must believe, as I believe, as children long to believe, that good happens. Prayers are answered. Hope does indeed beat eternal, and for good reason.

I LOVE it. I absolutely love it. Ms. DiCamillo, I salute you.

And P.S. I love Iddo.

Oh, wait! Ms. Tanaka! Your illustrations help make the magic, too. The elephant's eyes! Incredible. All your illustrations, actually, are incredible.

The Magician's Elephant is full of love and joy but also sadness. Peter a boy at age 12 struggles to find his little sister when a fortune tellers
tent appers at market. Peter spends money that is not his and is told that his sister lives. Though he had hope, it all comes down to an elephant
crashing through the opera house. Peter's Godfather does not beleve him and says his sister is dead. The fortune teller lies. No he lies. she lies
he lies. Someone lies............

- Sofia Martinez
age 9

I would have a hard time suggesting this book to my 10 year old nephew. The plot plugs along at such a slow depressing pace that I found it hard to keep my attention let alone the audience who it's directed at. The book's themes are very heavy and would loose most kids. Overall it was a creeping dismal read. When I finished I asked myself, "hmm, those are few hours I wont get back".

A beautiful piece of children's literature... but one that adults will appreciate more than kids.

My kids (ages 7 and 10, boy and girl) were underwhelmed. They were expecting the adventure and humor of The Tale of Desperaux, or the adventure of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This was too quiet and thoughtful for them. They did want to hear more every night, but concluded that it was not a favorite.

I have read all her books and this was not the best. In the begining it took a long time to make sense to me. If you're like me, you like all her books and you want to read more. You might want to think about that. But if you like waiting for a story to get good, then I think you should buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT dull. I understand it deals with loss experienced by almost all characters, but the loss became boring, heavier than the elephant, yet hollow. Maybe it's because there are too many characters to cover in too few pages. Maybe it's because philosophical concepts are dealt with almost in a childlike level, but without childlike wonder.

A magical and wonderful read! Highly recommend to readers of all ages. This is truly a book for everyone and will no doubt be a classic for all time. If you haven't shed tears of joy in a long time, prepare yourself...this book will make you believe in magic and all that is good in the world.

I awaited this book for a long time ever since I read Kate Dicamillo's Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. My wait was worth it! This book was so sad yet at the same time it delivered great moments and turn of events that would keep many turning the pages as it did to me. Kate Dicammillo delivered a much awaited novel that many of all ages will adore.

Have you ever found a book that isn't very interesting because the message isn't interesting and you can't get sucked into the book? Then DON'T read the Magician's Elephant because you can almost guess what happens next in the book. The plot is simple, and some of the characters are extremely boring. Vilana Lutz is boring because all he does is teach the boy Peter Augustus Duchene to be a solider and won't tell him what really happened to his sister. Also, I think that Vilana Lutz is boring because he doesn't do anything interesting in the story. For example, he just sits and tells Peter what to do. The plot is very simple because the book tells you the plot at the beginning of the story. The fortuneteller says to Peter, "Find the elephant it will guide you to her." Also, sometimes I think I know what is going to happen next in the story. Like the elephant happens to appear in Peter's town and I thought "Well maybe the boy will get the elephant" guess what happens, he finds the elephant, and I bet you can guess what happens next..? If you like slow paced books with a simple plot and some characters that don't do anything but talk, and a book that you can guess what happens next, then read the Magician's Elephant. If you are someone who likes adventure, fantasy, action or some other genre, then don't read the Magician's Elephant!
Carson - age 11

I just finished reading this marvelous tale-- the first book in months I couldn't put down. If you are having a rough day, or feel like the world just isn't going to get any better, read The Magician's Elephant. It will help you to believe again in that magical think called hope.

No wonder why it has so many stars!
- Bjorn, age 9

My son LOVES this book. It's the only book that he has ever had a tough time putting down. He read it for an hour yesterday. I've tried all sorts of chapter books but he has never taken to them like he has to this one. I'm reading it next.

- Janet Thaeler

DiCamillo paints a beautiful story with her words. Children are taken in by the characters, but as a teacher, I love the way she brings in amazing vocabulary for those students. A beautifully written story.

I thought the writing was beautiful, but something was missing and I'm not sure what it is. I definitely expected more "real" magic and it wasn't as touching as I thought it was going to be. I liked Edward Tulane better.

The Magician's Elephant is full of love and joy but also sadness. Peter a boy at age 12 struggles to find his little sister when a fortune tellers
tent appers at market. Peter spends money that is not his and is told that his sister lives. Though he had hope, it all comes down to an elephant
crashing through the opera house. Peter's Godfather does not beleve him and says his sister is dead. The fortune teller lies. No he lies. she lies
he lies. Someone lies............

- Sofia Martinez
age 9

Kate DiCamillo's claim to fame is the Newbery award winning story The Tale of the Despereaux, recently turned into a film. She delights in the worlds of make believe; of heroism and fantasy; of childhood hopes and dreams; of gentle despair and life longing. It's her forte, and it shows up no better in this charming lullaby of a story "The Magician's Elephant".

The book is a clever chain of characters, introduced in such a way that the beauty and design of the story isn't revealed fully until the remaining few pages. This book keeps you guessing. Peter, an orphan being raised by a slightly crazed veteran, is sent to market to purchase food. Only, he sees a fortuneteller tent and decides to learn his future instead. The woman reveals that his long lost sister is truly alive, and that, most wonderfully oddly, an elephant will lead him to her. Peter leaves flabbergasted at the news. A magician, performing in the town one evening, conjures an elephant in the air, which comes crashing down on one wealthy patron, paralyzing her. The regretful magician is immediately jailed, and the town is left to deal with this conjured elephant. Therein starts a chain of unbelievable, fantastic events that connect the dots of his life.

DiCamillo has mastered the art of storytelling. In any lesser hands, this fantastic tale would be an out of control wreck of a story. She worked hard to make this a simpler story; it's not the length of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which makes this story even stronger. She deals with classic fairy tale elements, in a story that's not quite a fairy tale. As a teacher, I would love for my students, after having read and studied classic fairy tale structure, to read this book to find elements of that structure.

The book portends, almost enchantingly, the idea that everyone belongs, that everyone plays a special role in a town, in society. It's a musical interpretation of the game "telephone", only no one is there to mess up the message, and everyone is there to make sure the message is communicated perfectly. The end, which shall not be revealed here, is more sweet and lovely than I predicted it could end. In fact, for some reason, I saw this book as a musical more than a movie; yes, it would be a wonderful musical for children.

At any rate, I highly recommend "The Magician's Elephant". It's short, quiet. It would make a terrific read aloud at the elementary level, or one at home, on a winter's night. It's a snuggly, beautiful tale.

Peter Augustus Duchene does not wake up each day expecting his life to change. See, he is an orphan in the city of Baltese, his guardian Vilna Lutz is a crazy old codger of a soldier, and his life is anything but extraordinary. The only thing he hopes for is to one day grow up to be a brave and strong soldier like his father long ago. This is why he slaves away in hopeless obedience to his guardian, and this is why he happens to find himself standing in the market with a single florit coin in his hand, in front of a fortuneteller's tent.

A sign on the door reads: The most profound and difficult questions that could possibly be posed by the human mind or heart will be answered within for the price of one florit.

So Peter spends his boss's money and asks the questions that his heart has been dying to ask for years: Does his sister still live? And if she lives, then how can he make his way there to where she is? The answer is nothing he ever could have expected. "You must follow the elephant," the fortuneteller says.

Peter does not understand. He has never seen an elephant and does not know where to find one. Baltese in the winter is no place for an elephant. But he has grown up thinking his sister was born dead, and this is the only clue he has ever had. What if his guardian has not been telling the truth? Such a thought has never come to Peter, yet recent dreams have brought back strange childhood memories that have caused him to doubt his guardian and all he has grown up believing.

Meanwhile, across the wintry rooftops of the city, an old magician readies himself in the opera house for a very good illusion. "Magic is impossible," says the magician. "It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That is why it is magic." His intention is to have a bouquet of lilies fall from the ceiling into the arms of a high class woman. This is what he wants. This will be his great and final show. The Baltese people do not expect anything special anymore. They have worn themselves out expecting something special. So it is not surprising that both the expectant crowd and the magician alike are stunned to watch a life-size elephant thunder through the ceiling and crush a woman's legs. What, after all, are they supposed to do with something so impossible as that?

And what will that mean for our little orphan soldier?

From the author who gave readers BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, THE TALES OF DESPERAUX, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE and GREAT JOYcomes a tale of magic, courage, manhood, hope and light that lives up to everything we have grown to expect and love from Kate DiCamillo. THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT is the story of a boy and an elephant and the things that could happen if the world would only just believe. It is as true as it could possibly be. So come closer, dear readers, she is going to tell you a story.

--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

I would have to agree with the review given by THE LIBRARY LADY from Minnesota. I love to read children's fiction because I respect a writer's ability to entertain his/her's audience. Unfortunately, I can't say that about The Magician's Elephant. I expected it to be an imaginative story children would love to read. I can't imagine any child, especially the intended age group 9-12, finding this book at all interesting. It is quite dark, and there's no action. There are many vocabulary words above that age level as well. There are also too many instances where a child (and myself) would find the story boring and too adult to continue reading.

I'm always on the lookout for good books to read with my kids, I saw this had good reviews so picked it up.
and as it spiraled, becoming more dark, depressing, and disturbing, and warning bells went off. I thought this reminds me an awful lot of that horrible book about the rabbit toy Edward Tulane, with good reason since it's the same author.

I also realized, after thinking about it, why reading this author is about as much fun as reading the obituaries (actually the obituaries are a lot more fun, usually contain happy stories about the good times and positive accomplishments that the departed has done in the world, so they're actually more uplifting than this author's more recent books).

for example j.k. rowling does not bring you down, no matter how dark the dark parts are, because the author has humor and adventure interwoven in the story. They have balance. There's not too much any one ingredient.

This author lately has offered a heaping helping of negaitivity. They are dismal, depressing and overweighted with sadness. Humor an upbeat approach is what I want to arm my kids with and these books don't have it.

The strange thing, she also wrote the Winn Dixie book, which while the characters tugged your heartstrings some, the dog added adventure and humor and the characters were sweet, fun and filled with love. We need more of those, less of the total bummers.

My family and I are Kate DiCamillo fans and have enjoyed her other works. We enjoyed the realism of Because of Winn Dixie and the escapism of Despareaux but the odd mixture of the two in this book did not work. The characters were not well developed and the plot marched along to its inevitable conclusion with no twists or surprises. By the time the end arrived we had lost interest.

The bizarre - an elephant magically falling through the roof of a packed opera house - meshes with the dreamingly poignent - an orphaned brother and sister's wish to be reunited -- in a tenderhearted tale that celebrates the connections between us and the courage it takes to follow dreams. Newbery Medal-winning author Kate DiCamillo succeeds once again with "The Magician's Elephant," a story about a magician who one winter evening brings an elephant crashing down onto his audience. On that same evening in the same city, a fortune teller informs a boy that an elephant will appear and lead him to his presumed-dead sister. A begger and his a blind dog, a noblewoman crippled by the falling elephant, a nun who oversees the local orphanage, a policeman and his wife who have no children of their own, a crippled former stonecutter hired to scoop elephant poop, the elephant, the boy Peter and his sister Adele form an ensemble cast who confront life's deepest questions in their nighttime dreams, and who, each in their own small way, contribute to the tale's simple yet miraculous conclusion. Each mired in their own difficult circumstances, the characters don't have much reason to believe that life will change. But one by one they allow themselves to ask "what if?" What if they took a chance, what if they believed that change was possible, what if they were capable of making it happen? When that mindset takes hold, amazing things occur. The black and white illustrations bolster the story's wintry feel, as characters wish for snow as they suffer through gray, laden skies and bitter cold. The perfect illustrative accompaniment to a story about daring to move after long standing still. The Magician's Elephant

As an adult reader, I enjoyed The Magician's Elephant, but as a piece of children's literature, I was quite dissappointed in it. While this is a relatively short book, it is dense to say the least. The themes of lonliness, truth, and forgiveness are a bit heavy for a children's book. The whole atmosphere of the book is bleak, and it is populated by characters lost in their own despair. While the last chapter does offer hope, the entire rest of the book is quite dismal. On top of this, the book is wholly without action. While there may be a few children out there who may enjoy this book, I believe the majority will not. I am a big fan of DiCamillo's other books, but in this book she has drifted too far from what children want to read about for this book to truly be considered chilren's literature.

Don't you hate books with fairy tale endings? If yes, then you would hate this book! This book was torture to read because it was boring and completely predictable. The moment Peter saw the fortuneteller's tent in the market, I was able to predict the rest of the book. The fact that the magician and Madam LaVaughn were fighting the entire book just made the book the same on every page! There was no action, no suspense, and it was all completely predictable. So if you want to read a horrible book, then this is it! If you want a good book, go somewhere else!

By Jack age 12

Have you ever found a book that isn't very interesting because the message isn't interesting and you can't get sucked into the book? Then DON'T read the Magician's Elephant because you can almost guess what happens next in the book. The plot is simple, and some of the characters are extremely boring. Vilana Lutz is boring because all he does is teach the boy Peter Augustus Duchene to be a solider and won't tell him what really happened to his sister. Also, I think that Vilana Lutz is boring because he doesn't do anything interesting in the story. For example, he just sits and tells Peter what to do. The plot is very simple because the book tells you the plot at the beginning of the story. The fortuneteller says to Peter, "Find the elephant it will guide you to her." Also, sometimes I think I know what is going to happen next in the story. Like the elephant happens to appear in Peter's town and I thought "Well maybe the boy will get the elephant" guess what happens, he finds the elephant, and I bet you can guess what happens next..? If you like slow paced books with a simple plot and some characters that don't do anything but talk, and a book that you can guess what happens next, then read the Magician's Elephant. If you are someone who likes adventure, fantasy, action or some other genre, then don't read the Magician's Elephant!
Carson - age 11

"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm." -- Daniel 1:20

It has become popular these days to write books for young people that exalt the occult as the means to accomplishing good ends. If that's what you want your children to read, then you will have no objections to this book. If you want your children to learn that God is the source of all good things, you may want to have your children avoid this book.

Beyond that problem, I found the story to be in need of an editor who would boil it down to a shorter, tighter story line. As it stands, the book mostly goes from one scene of someone in misery to another scene of a different person in misery. You could get the book's idea across in a lot fewer pages. I doubt if many youngsters will want to sit around on winter evenings reading the first two-thirds of this story.

The illustrations are very effective in making the story even darker and more depressing than the words themselves are. I commend the effectiveness of the illustrations in serving the authors' purpose, even if I disagree with the idea of creating a book that focuses more on the darkness than on ways to overcome darkness.

I liked the idea that blessings can come from unlikely sources, such as a magician's elephant unexpected arrival. If that theme had been more focused and tied to belief in God, this could have been a terrific story.

While some have recommended this story for adults, I didn't find the writing to be good enough to appeal to most adults.

she repeats alot more then i thought she would. the frist chapter is magical but i guss its okay. kate dicamillo is quite the wrighter. its cool in the begening but the midlle is okay but i just love the end anyway i sorta like it a lot more then i expected i would. but on the other hand i hate it and its boring anyway i thought i might share my very commen apennenn with you. i am glad thay are makeing a movie about it. i want to see it in three dee you can call me at four two six nine nine one zero nice doin bissness with ya.

Quick book, but what a wonderful read no matter how old you are. Signed Edition just makes it that much more special, which I'd highly recommend as it's always nice to have something a little more rare!

I read this to approve for our elementary school library. It was a very enjoyable read; a sweet, magical and mysterious story about hope and love. I admit that Kate DiCamillo's stories are a bit off-the-wall at times, but I have liked all those I have read. This one left me smiling.

Age Recommendation: 9-12

Peter Augustus Duchene is an orphan in the city of Baltese. He lives with a retired military man, Vilna Lutz. Lutz sends Peter to the market with a coin to buy fish and bread. But Peter is attracted by the sign for a fortuneteller, and he spends the coin there. She tells him that, to find his sister, he must follow the elephant.

Peter’s sister, he’s been told, die with his mother at childbirth. But he’s suspected that she didn’t die. And here’s the fortuneteller telling him exactly that! But what is this about the elephant?

And then, at the opera house, a magician is performing before the nobles and town dignitaries. He wants to do something spectacular, he thinks, seeing their bored faces. And he means to create a bouquet of lilies, but he utters a different spell and – an elephant comes crashing through the roof.

And so begins the story of “The Magician’s Elephant,” written by children’s author Kate DiCamillo and illustrated with stark, poignant drawings by Yoko Tanaka.

I first met the writings of Kate DiCamillo through the movie version of her first book, “Because of Winn-Dixie,” a runaway bestseller and a Newberry Honor Book. (It was also a delightful movie.) Her book “Flora & Ulysses” won the 2014 Newberry Medal, and “The Tiger Rising” was a National Book Award finalist. She’s also written “The Extraordinary Journey of Edward Tulane,” “The Tale of Despereaux,” and several other children’s stories.

DiCamillo creates an atmosphere of gloom and cold around her story, and in fact snow becomes a critical element. Tanaka’s illustrations provide a graphic representation of that atmosphere.

“The Magician’s Elephant” is a story of hope and faith, of rescue and responsibility, of a boy’s belief that his sister is still alive, the sister he promised his dying mother he would care for. At times so many themes are moving through this story that it is sufficient to cast analysis to the side and simply read it for the good story that it is.