by Malcolm Mitchell (Author) Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Illustrator)
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Lew-Vriethoff’s cheery biblio bustle, replete with diverse sets of parents and children sharing books in a spacious, modern library, culminates in a view of the magician turning his big, seemingly bottomless hat toward readers with a (perhaps the) question: “What are your dreams?”
Copyright 2017 Booklist, LLC Used with permission.
New England Patriots wide receiver Mitchell has written a serviceable paean to reading as a means of making your (career) dreams come true. Suitably cheerful cartoon illustrations show a diverse group of children and families at a magic show at the library, with psychic reader's advisory as the grand finale. One by one, children from the audience reach into the magician's top hat for books, each of which is somehow about that child's dream career, thus proving that "books are magic." The lanky white magician even convinces a skeptical kid who claims to want to be a dog when he grows up: deep down the boy wants to be an astronaut, so the magic hat gives him a book about space. There are missed opportunities to promote the joy of reading for its own sake, as well as to encourage perseverance when reading does not feel like magic. Nevertheless, the amusing story encourages children to see the library as a fun place and to see books as a source of inspiration and support for their passions. VERDICT A good-natured addition, if a bit simplistic about the benefits of reading.—Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.MALCOLM MITCHELL is the rookie who helped the New England Patriots win Super Bowl LI. He's also the founder of an initiative called Read with Malcolm, which introduces book ownership to students, and works to improve literacy in schools. Malcolm's Share the Magic Foundation promotes the benefits of reading to kids in underserved communities. As the New England Patriots Summer Reading Ambassador, he encourages summer reading. Malcolm lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Born and raised in northern Ohio, MICHAEL ROBERTSON graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in painting. He spent ten years as a toy designer and character developer, before trying his hand at illustration. His work has appeared on many children's products, greeting cards, books, toys, and magazines, and has received multiple recognitions from the Society of Illustrators.