Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan

Summary from Dust Jacket: People may drift apart, but love can hold them together. Sometimes we find that love through magic. Sometimes that magic is all around us. This story is about all three of these things. But it's also a story about how four dogs and one cat help one boy and his sister save their family.

What I thought: This was a gem of a book. A book about magic--Waiting for the Magic was pure magic. The situation William & Elinor find themselves in is not a pleasant one. Their father leaves perhaps never to return. their subsequent adoption of 4 dogs (Bryn, Bitty, Grace, & Neo) and 1 cat (Lula) brings some comfort and a bit of magic to their lives. The author's portrayal of William was particularly poignant. As the oldest, he feels his father's absence more and doesn't know how to act. Though about a serious subject, I found this book lighthearted and fun. Animal lovers will adore this story especially when they discover what the magic is. The illustrations are lovely. They remind me of Garth Williams and Louis Darling. I especially liked seeing the dogs and cat.

(Illus. Amy June Bates. Atheneum, 2011)

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