Publishers Weekly
Francois Roca's dark-hued illustrations adeptly convey the sense of eerie mystery that pervades H.G. Wells's captivating and hair-raising 19th-century British tale, The Magic Shop. As young Gip tugs his father's finger, venturing deep within the store, the boy discovers he is now holding the shopkeeper's hand, and seems to be absorbing all kinds of magical knowledge. Wells's formal language ages well, and the sinister paintings ensure a spine-tingling treat. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-Originally published in The Country of the Blind and Other Stories (Nelson, 1913), "The Magic Shop" evokes the mood that results from observing the unexplained and the unexpected. A boy and his father are drawn into a magic shop by the marvelous items on display in the window. However, what begins as entertainment in response to the father's request for a few "amusing" tricks for his son-some sleight-of-hand performed by the shopkeeper, some seemingly magical toy soldiers-soon becomes unnerving. Roca's dark oil paintings, set in an earlier London of hansom cabs, men in high collars and bowler hats, and little boys in sailor suits, contain elements both surreal and sinister, appropriately echoing the mood of the story. Small ink drawings of yesteryear's toys-clown, kewpie doll, metal plane-also appear as orange-colored prints on the endpapers. The absence of introductory material on H. G. Wells and his writings is noticeable; the audience for an illustrated edition of this particular tale would seem to be limited.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
