The Magician's Elephant

Title: The Magician's Elephant

Author: Kate Dicamillo

Level: J

Location: J Dicamillo K.

I feel I must write this review with very little about the characters for if I describe them, I am likely to spoil your discovery of them. I will say that almost all of them are missing something and mention Leo Matienne, the policeman. When Leo first appears he is defending the elephant so I think the reader will know this a good, kind person. Pay attention to Leo if you want to try to figure out what is going to happen. The begining of the book is bit of a bummer, as in a downer, but I urge you to keep reading. There are moments of true understanding and the story does brighten.

Bottom Line: Kate Dicamillo is a master of story weaving. While I thought the book was well written I'm not sure who I would recommend it to. If you already have a love of reading books this one may be for you. Kate's books also appeal to adults so if you are an adult who loves children's stories this is a must read. How can an elephant, who can't even talk, play such a big part of the story? Well, it is a magician's elephant so shouldn't it be special. Many of the people in the story think it is. Find out how it brings them all together.