Waiting for the Magic

July 4, 2011
Newbery Medalist MacLachlan tackles the familiar yet always heart-wrenching subject of parental separation in her venerable spare and moving style. "It was early on a Saturday summer morning when my mother and father stopped arguing and Papa walked away," begins William, a fourth-grader who is quietly shaken and angry at his father's departure. He is astounded when his mother, engulfed by emotion, immediately drives him and his four-year-old sister, Elinor, to the pound, where they bring home all four dogs they find, plus a cat. The characters are individualistic, believable, and likable, and the impulsive acquisition and heartwarming presence of the animals suggest an affecting work of realistic fiction. MacLachlan moves it into fantasy, however, by creating voicesâwise onesâfor each of the dogs, which Elinor can immediately hear; the others must open themselves to the possibility of magic before they come to hear the dogs, as well. While the talking animals initially feel like a contrivance, they bring an amusing and uplifting tenderness to this story of a family working to trust againâreaders facing similar turmoil will wish they had such a source of support. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8â12.

July 15, 2011

Pet lovers know that their nonhuman friends are magical beings imbued with preternatural wisdom, and anyone who's experienced the special bond between humans and animals firsthand is fortunate indeed.

Mama promptly adopts four dogs and a cat when Papa leaves her and their children, 10-year-old Will and 4-year-old Elinor, who's a natural at magic from the get-go. Readers soon discover that the animals regularly speak to each other and to some of the humans, telepathically. Greek-chorus style, they also comment sagely and often comically on the family's travails. According to the author's epigraph, only "the young, the old, the brave, the honest, the joyful" understand the magic, and gradually more family members are revealed as able to join in on the "conversations." The real magic is not only that animals can speak but that they can effect real change in a family—and ultimately save it. MacLachlan shows how this family grows and heals in touching and charming ways, yet she doesn't shy away from some of the honest emotions surrounding parental separation. She balances some tough issues with sweetness and humor, and there's a happy, satisfying and cathartic ending, proving that magic is closer than one thinks and is worth the wait.

An endearing testimonial to interspecies family relationships.  (Fantasy. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from October 1, 2011

Gr 3-5-Realism blends seamlessly with fantasy as a boy struggles to trust that his fractured family can become whole once more. When Papa walks out yet again, Mama decides they need a dog and takes fifth-grader William and his four-year-old sister, Elinor, to the animal shelter where they choose not one but four dogs: Bryn, Bitty, Neo, and Grace, and one cat, Lula. The animals fill some of the empty space left by Papa's absence, and first Elinor and then William realize they can hear the dogs talking to one another. But when Mama announces she's pregnant, Papa returns and tries to fit into the new dynamics of the household, taking over the cooking to hilarious effect and setting up a studio in the attic in hopes of overcoming his writer's block. Two loving grandparents, an eccentric friend, and four wise and devoted dogs that can now be heard by Papa, and then by Mama, too, help a now-solid family welcome baby Nicholas-and a new dog-at story's end. The spare prose, in William's authentic voice, conveys pathos and humor; the boy's cautious observations and Papa's earnest explanations are offset by Elinor's droll one-liners and the dogs' succinct comments. Deft characterization adds richness and depth to a deceptively simple narrative, and appealing charcoal pencil illustrations throughout reflect the action. The book's title suggests the wonder of canine speech and becomes the title of the story Papa eventually begins to write. Fans of Joy Cowley's Chicken Feathers (Philomel, 2008) will love this gem.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

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