MAGICAL KIDS

Down-to-earth Ruby is a total disappointment to her famous magician parents. When she is orphaned and sent to a failing magic school, she shrinks each time she tries to do a trick. A greedy, false uncle claims her, but she is rescued by loving Aunt Hat and discovers a hidden well of magical ability. Flip the book and meet Thomas Top, whose family is perfectly ordinary and likes it that way. He is granted a birthday wish by a fairy and soon finds himself flying all over town. The adults convince themselves that they are collectively imagining the whole thing, but somehow Thomas’s father is reminded that he was once more light-spirited, and when he too is granted a wish, he wishes he could have fun. In the best British fantasy tradition Gardner treats the magic matter-of-factly, making it seem natural and believable. The deceptively simple black-and-white illustrations add just the right touch. Previously published separately in the United Kingdom, the two-in-one flip-book format will definitely attract young American readers. (Fantasy. 7-10)