The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
I received an ARC of The Magician’s Elephant when I visited Cover to Cover last month. It’s due to be released at the beginning of September, just in time for the new school year. I love Kate DiCamillo’s books. Her writing shows a breadth of topics and genres, and each one has touched me for different reasons. Her newest book does not disappoint. In this story, an orphan of the late 1800′s, Peter Duchene, asks a fortune teller if his sister is alive. He is thrilled when the fortune teller tells him that she lives. You see, he’s been told by his guardian (a very sad, strict, former soldier friend of Peter’s father) that she died at birth. However, he’s perplexed when the fortune teller reveals that an elephant will lead him to her. He knows of no elephants except those in India or Africa.
In another part of the city of Baltese, a magician desperately wanting to impress his audience with an unforgettable trick, is surprised when an elephant comes crashing through the ceiling. He is as surprised as his audience. Unfortunately, the appearance of the elephant brings bad luck to several characters, including the magician. We also meet a young girl named Adele who lives in an orphanage in another part of the city. The Countess Quintet, is worried that all of the fuss surrounding the elephant is ruining the social season. So she decides to move the elephant to her spacious home. All of these separate stories eventually meld and bring these characters together.
This story is filled with sad, haunted characters, yet there is still an element of hope expressed. One character, especially, is described as having the soul of a poet. Leo Matienne , a police officer and neighbor to Peter, liked to ask, “What if? Why not? Could it possibly be?” Even though Leo and his wife are childless, the reader knows without a doubt that they love eachother very much and would make wonderful parents to some needy children. You will find yourself hoping that they will find a way to provide a loving home for Peter and his sister, should he find her alive.
Filled with hope, despair, magic, dreams and wonder, this story is as endearing as her others. You will find yourself transported to another time. Fourth grade teachers will be able to use this book as another example of fables in their classrooms. In my opinion, it would work best as a read aloud. The story is a little dark and there are many places where you can stop for discussion. I think a sophisticated upper elementary reader would enjoy this as an independent read.
