The Magician's Elephant

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 Duchene knows the questions that he must 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 is true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be told by Kate DiCamillo.

Kate DiCamillo is the author of many beloved books for young readers, including The Tale of Despereaux and Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, both of which received a Newbery Medal; Because of Winn-Dixie, which received a Newbery Honor; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; and the bestselling Mercy Watson series. Kate DiCamillo, current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in the US, lives in Minneapolis.