The Magic Shop

by H. G. Wells

Overview

Out for a walk in London one day, Gip and his father happen upon a magic shop. At Gip's urging, the two go in - and things grow more and more curious by the minute. Counters, store fixtures, and mirrors seem to move around the room, and the shopkeeper is most mysterious of all. Gip is thrilled by all he sees, and his father is at first amused, but when things become stranger and sinister father is no longer sure where reality ends and illusion begins. Fantastical illustrations underscore the macabre atmosphere of the tale, make this a perfect book read aloud together again and again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781514164952
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	06/01/2015
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.39(d)
Age Range:	6 Years

About the Author

H.G. Wells (1866–1946), born Herbert George Wells, was an English author known for not only his popular science fiction books but also works of social commentary, history and biography. His first novel, The Time Machine, was published in 1895. Socially progressive and visionary in intellect, H.G. Wells became one of the most prolific writers of his generation. Through books like The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and War of the Worlds, Wells delved into a plethora of social, philosophical and political ideas through the medium of what we now call science fiction.

Date of Birth:

September 21, 1866

Date of Death:

August 13, 1946

Place of Birth:

Bromley, Kent, England

Place of Death:

London, England

Education:

Normal School of Science, London, England

Editorial Reviews

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.

Publishers Weekly

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.

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