The Magician's Elephant
Readers rate it 3.6 (42 on Hardcover)
210 pages · Released Sep 3, 2026 · Candlewick Press
Content report card
The Magician's Elephant parent’s guide: what’s inside
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
The Magician's Elephant is a gentle, dreamlike fable by acclaimed author Kate DiCamillo about an orphan's quest to find his sister, guided by a mysterious prophecy involving an elephant. The story centers on hope, compassion, and belonging, with minimal content concerns—a brief reference to the character's violent past and some mild scary elements, but nothing graphic. This is an excellent choice for middle-grade readers seeking an imaginative, emotionally resonant adventure with strong positive messaging.
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From the publisher
What if? Why not? Could it be? When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchenne knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortune teller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead... What if? Why not? Could it be? When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchenne knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortune teller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead you there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be told by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes – hope and belonging, desire and compassion – with the lightness of a magician’s touch.
Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Young Adult
- Adventure
- Adventure stories
- Fiction
- Juvenile Fiction
- Spanish
- Adventure and adventurers
- Orphans
- Brothers and sisters
- Elephants
- Missing children
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ISBN 9780763644109 · Candlewick Press