The Trouble with Magic

The Trouble with Magic

Ruth Chew

Ruth Chew's early reader chapter books have been around for decades.  (They may hold a nostalgic spot for us Scholastic Book Fair kids of the 80's.). This one is a simple story of a brother and sister who encounter some magic that doesn't quite go as planned, thanks to a small wizard and his finicky umbrella.    

The Town in the Library

 

The Town in the Library

E. Nesbit 1988

A magical story by E. Nesbit about two children who create a town within a town, within a town.  It almost makes your head spin, but Nesbit, ever the consummate story-teller mixes fantasy and everyday adventures into an enjoyable read.

 

The Magical Land of Noom

Charlotte was inspired by our latest chapter book to build this "spaceship" out of an old box, buttons and spools.

The Magical Land of Noom

Johnny Gruelle

Gruelle, who is best known for the Raggedy Ann books, writes a magical, strange, story along the lines of Baum's Oz books.  Johnny and Janey use an old box to build a "flying machine", but imagine their surprise when it really does fly and takes them off to the other side of the moon where the Land of Noom is.  Their grandparents soon follow after them and before long they are running from the evil Jingles the Magician and rescuing the beautiful Princess Nidia of Nite.  It's an odd, sort of old fashioned story but it works and I love the silly characters.

Instructions

Sometimes you find an illustrator or writer that you wish you could be friends with in real life.  How I would love to sit over a pot of tea with Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess.  I feel like we would have the most amazing conversations about art and mythology, classic fairy tales, and fantasy.  They both create, one with words and one with drawings, these worlds that I wish I could inhabit.  Some people are lucky to have both incredible talent, and incredible imaginations.

 Instructions

Neil Gaiman

illustrated by Charles Vess 2010

 They've collaborated on other things, but this one is pretty special.  It's everything I love about them- the style of artwork, the blurred space between the real world and the world of fantasy, the respect for all the elements of a good old fashioned fairy tale.  Give it a look and then you'll find yourself searching for more of their work.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

William Joyce

illustrated by Joe Bluhm 2012

Since the season of gift-giving is at hand, here's one of my recommendations. Madeleine particularly loves this book- which is no surprise since she is my voracious reader! Apparently there was a film short that came first but we've never seen it. Mr. Morris Lessmore ends up surrounded in a world of books (what a dream!). He takes care of them and they become his lifelong friends.

We have many other William Joyce books and have come to realize he is always full of amazing tales. The pictures are nice and even the long rectangular binding make it a little more special. It would certainly make a worthwhile gift.

Mad Summer Night's Dream

I'm ready for all sorts of midsummer madness.

Mad Summer Night's Dream

Ruth Brown 1999

Ruth Brown takes a delirious playground rhyme and turns it into a surreal picture book.

It was midsummer night in winter

and snow was on the ground

When miles away, inside my head,

I heard an eerie sound.

They were staring at each other

while sitting back to back.

One was black with brown stripes,

the brown one's stripes were black.

- it was morning!

What a mad midsummer night's dream.

Tales of Wonder and Magic

We have been having the most perfect summer nights.  Last night we made a fire and sat outside with marshmallows and this book of folk tales.  Madeleine and I both took turns reading aloud.

Tales of Wonder and Magic

Berlie Doherty

illustrated by Juan Wijngaard 1997

Berlie Doherty collected 10 stories from around the world.  They're perfect for round the fire reading, though you don't want to miss out on the beautiful illustrations.

Outside Over There

Outside Over There

Maurice Sendak  1981

In memory of the incomparable Maurice Sendak, here is one of my favorite books by him.  (Where the Wild Things Are is probably my favorite Sendak book).

The pictures are glorious in all their rounded, muted colors.  And the story is simple, sweet, magical, mysterious, and odd- all the things Sendak was good at.

Ida played her wonder-horn

to rock the baby still-

but never watched.

"If Ida backwards in the rain

would only turn around again

and catch those goblins with a tune

she'd spoil their kidnap honeymoon!"

The Rainbabies

We really haven't gotten our share of April showers this year, but the flowers are blooming nonetheless.  We've always loved the story in this book.  It's interesting that a common devise in fairy/folk tales is a childless couple longing for a child of their own.  Here there's a good dose of magic, love, nature and a bittersweet but happy ending.

The Rainbabies

Laura Krauss Melmed

illustrated by Jim LaMarche 2004

Jim LaMarche's pictures are every bit as warm and sweet as the story.