The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo -- A Book Review

Peter uses his only florit to get a question answered from a fortuneteller. The answer to the question causes him to doubt his guardian, an old soldier and family friend. Was his sister alive or dead? The fortuneteller told him that the elephant would take him to her. Peter left upset because Baltese had no elephants. Later that day, a magician did a bit of magic that brought Peter what he needed.

Kate DiCamillo's language is eloquent and pulls the reader back to the time and place when the story occurs. It is a wonderful tale that will remind children of the importance of keeping a promise.

The major characters are developed in a manner that allows the reader's imagination to get to know them at their own pace. It is DiCamillo's talent that gives that characters depth without a superfluous word of description.

The ending wraps up the question for Peter but readers may walk away without a feeling of closure for other characters.

This promotional copy was received during BookExpo America 2009 as a free marketing tool by either the publisher or author and was given to many attendees. It was not given to me to review. I did not receive any compensation from the publisher or author for this review.