Chris Van Allsburg Books

It was a very enjoyable read! I didn't want to put the book down. I would have liked to have seen a little more interaction between Caspian and Peter, and a more detailed battle sequence at the end.

Prince Caspian is one of the tales of The Chronicles of Narnia. It takes place after Peter, the high king and his siblings left the kingdom many years before. They returned to find animosity between the realms of prince Caspian and the magical creatures. A knight called Reepicheep that is a talking mouse, a dwarf and the cast off prince find themselves on the same side as the high king Peter and his siblings. After they learn to trust each other, they unite to bring peace to all races and the throne to his rightful heir. A great tale full of action.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

I saw the movie first, and I believe that was a mistake. Because once I sat down to read this book, I was expecting the movie to follow the book. I was, of course, wrong.

To read this book, I believe you got to have somewhat of an open mind and be imaginative. The Kings and Queens come back, and they come back many years later. The last time they left Narnia, they were much older...like young adults, and they come back in this book as children again. Narnia has changed and has changed for the worse. But the children, Prince Caspian, and the other Narnians fight to set things right.

Aslan is not throughout the book, but shows up just in time. But I must admit that I was sad to read that Peter and Susan could not come back because they were too old, and the same time, I completely understood why.

Overall, this was an excellent read, and C.S. Lewis writing is such a treasure. But this one was the book I liked the least out of all the books in the series. I guess the movie did ruin it for me.

Thanks.

Imagine if you once saved a magical other world... only to return later and find that centuries had passed, and everything had changed.

Well, since the movie adaptation of "Prince Caspian" is about to come out, it seems appropriate to revisit C.S. Lewis's classic novel, the sequel to his even more classic "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." While it has some drippily allegorical moments near the end, Lewis does a pretty good job with what must have been a difficult sequel.

When his aunt gives birth to a baby boy, young Prince Caspian finds himself on the run from his usurping uncle Miraz -- and in the hands of Narnia's secret army of dwarves, centaurs, talking animals and nature spirits. Soon Caspian has an army backing his claim to the throne, but in a moment of desperation, he is forced to blow the magic horn of the legendary Queen Susan -- and subsequently pulls the Pevensies back into Narnia.

But while only a year has passed on Earth, centuries have passed in Narnia, and the kids find that it's no longer the place they left -- they and Aslan are distant memories, and their castle lies in ruins. And as they are led by a very skeptical dwarf to help Caspian, Lucy keeps glimpsing Aslan along the way -- a sign that things are about to change drastically in Narnia, both for the human and magical inhabitants...

The Chronicles of Narnia were probably the first books to feature what is now standard in the fantasy genre -- an ordinary person gets dragged into another world. Just take a look at successful, unique authors like Diana Wynne Jones and Garth Nix to get an example of how Lewis' stories have influenced the entire genre.

If you don't like allegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of "Prince Caspian," especially the second half. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated and subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the parallels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the allegory annoying.

But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a lovely little read. Lewis interweaves mythical elements -- dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, witches -- with the chatty, slightly precious style of traditional British storytelling. But this one is a bit darker and more action-packed than "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," with some unexpected twists in the middle of it all. The scene with a strange witch and a werewolf is downright chilling, in fact.

But Lewis' plotting does sag near the end, during a drippy scene where Aslan wanders around fixing life for Narnian subjects. Fortunately after that, he gets back to a mystery that hangs over the whole book -- just where did all these humans come from, if they were such a rarity in the previous adventure?

Peter seems a bit more jaded than before and Edmund a bit more mature, but sadly the girls don't get enough to do this time around. But Caspian is a likable and believable prepubescent king-in-waiting, and surrounded by a bunch of unique Narnians -- a gentle yet fierce badger, a hostile dwarf, a fiery mouse, and the delightfully skeptical Trumpkin, who doesn't believe in lions.

Despite a few rough spots, "Prince Caspian" is a slightly darker, more intricate story, and its finale marks a turning point in the Chronicles of Narnia. Definitely give it a read before you see the movie.

It's funny, how you come at these books as an adult and take something completely different away from them than you would as a child. I read these books about 20 years ago when my uncle gave me a complete set for my birthday. As a child, I think I read them simply as a fantasy/adventure story. As an adult, I can see the subtle religious references sprinkled throughout, and while some may see this as a hindrance to the story, at least through the first 2 books (I go by the original published order, not the new chronological order), I can look beyond that to the story underneath.

However, in the case of Prince Caspian, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of story. It seems to me that the book can be broken up into two sections: the first being the Dwarf relating Caspian's understanding of his role of Narnia's future leader (the entire importance of this seems to be related to him over the course of one evening while star-gazing) and the second being Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy's trek through the jungle to get to Caspian. The ending seemed too contrived for my liking and far too rushed. It was all build up and no follow through as far as I'm concerned.

Looking at the story differently, it is a story about faith; about how faith can be hard to see sometimes, but it's always there and as long as you believe in that faith, it will lead you where you need it to. Overall a good moral to the story, if a little didactic in the telling.

This is not particularly a review of The Voyage of The Dawn Treader plot or story line. Plot synopsis of this book can be found in many other places. My purpose here is to review this audio version.
I am in the process of reading The Chronicles Of Narnia to my children, we are immensely enjoying the experience.
Recently I started to read this to my kids at bedtime. We were enjoying it, but it seemed to be taking a long time to finish. A fairly lengthy car journey was coming up so I decided to get the audio version read by Derek Jacobi. I thought I had been doing a pretty good job of reading this book aloud, until that is I heard Mr Jacobi's version. His narration is absolutely perfect. The changes in voice, tenor, pitch and accent were so seamless and convincing that it really was hard to believe that only one person was reading. My son's comment that "even the boring bits are exciting, with this reader" is very true. This was a wonderful and memorable way to experience this classic " must read" book. When our car trip was over there was still a little bit left of the book, but no one wanted to go back to me reading it..., not even me.
Highly Recomended.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the story of the two youngest Pevensie children and their very obnoxious cousin on their return to Narnia. Caspian, now King, had sailed to find the seven lords that his father sent on an adventure but had never come back. The children joined him and the Knight Reepicheep, who is a talking mouse, on the ship The Dawn Treader to new adventures. From the discovery of new lands and their perils, slavery, new species and the truth of what happened to the lords... this book will keep you entranced and open your imagination to the outer most places. Great for anyone who enjoys traveling through CS Lewis' imagination.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

"The Voyage of the Dawn treader" may be my favorite book in the "Chronicles of Narnia". Many of the other reviewers have made comparisons, however I see it a little differently. I am reminded of Swift's "Gulliver's travels" and its imagination and satire. Obviously, the Lewis has updated the satire and changed aspects of the story - but both have the same sense of adventure.

Another added bonus to "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is the humor. Several of the chapters are very, very funny. The land "of the invisible people" comes to mind as an especially funny section.

In truth, Lewis has included all of the ingredients for a fine novel, humor, high adventure, coming of age, and moral decisions. The plot is nicely woven together and doesn't seem to jump as much as "Prince Caspian" and some of the others, so in my opinion "Voyage" may also be the best written of the books in the series.

Final tally
- Humor "A"
Adventure "A"
Writing style "B+"

Overall - "A" - a very solid read and sure to be one of your child's favorites!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is not one of my favorite books, but I will admit that this book is stuffed with great adventure. And it kept my attention. It's like you can't wait to see what they will see or go to next.

C.S. Lewis brings back Lucy, Edmund and Prince Caspian, but also a new character name Eustace. If C.S. Lewis was trying to make the reader dislike Eustace, then he did a great job when it came to me. I did not like him at first, but Eustace develops as a character, and I did eventually change my mind about him.

Every island they visited was different, and I really appreciated the fact that each island and each event was well written. Even little lessons are taught without really throwing it in your face.

I have written before C.S. Lewis is an excellent story writer, and this book proves that again. I hope you enjoy the book like I did.

Thanks.

As always, I somehow manage to get wrapped up in the Narnia stories. I don't know how or why, but I'm always curious as to what the next chapter will be.
This felt to me more like a collection of short stories than anything else. Each few chapters starts a new adventure, and there are very, very few plots lines that hold over. And the few that do have little weight to the current "adventure."
Nonetheless, the adventures that are embarked on are beautiful and intriguing, and the various islands are described with incredible detail and each one is unique from the other.
Again, I felt (as I do with the other Narnia books I've read) that there is so much more that could be expanded on, that the worlds and the characters have so much more to offer than what is told. But, in a way I suppose that is a compliment as well, because I'd want to know more.
And, as always, certain characters (most characters) are very delightful, each with his or her own personalities. And, of course, there is always something most beautiful and touching about Aslan.

This is a book you will read over and over. This author has a way of creating stories that will last in your heart forever. Both the story and pictures are wonderful. A must have for all family libraries.

This should be the first book that you should get because it is probably the best way to describe a game that practically comes alive. It's impossible for animals to appear out of nowhere and for it to rain in the house, but this book is really good. I hope that you like it! -Sean, Nantucket, MA

"Jumanji" is a great book for some people, but a scary book for others. How can a game come true? If you believe in magic, the book will seem more real. If you read "Zathura" too, it will be even better. I would give ten stars if I could! Chris Van Allsburg creates some great books! If I had a chance to meet him I wouldn't miss the chance! -Nathalia, Grade 4, Nantucket, MA

Ah, the trouble kids can get into when they are alone! Van Alsburg and his wild imagination create a game that comes to life, and he has his usual gorgeous illustrations to back it up. It's a pleasing adventure that I wish I could experience. Who doesn't want to see wild animals running amok?

Jumanji and Zathura are exciting books. Jumanji and Zathura go go together well. They are both exciting. In Jumanji a boy and a girl find a game and play. When they are done they put it back where they found it. Then two boys take the game. They think Jumanji looks boring, but tucked inside the Jumanji box they find Zathura. Then there is a lot of action. These two books are awesome! I highly recommend them to kids of all ages. -SB

I recommend this good book to you to read to your child. It's about a kid that sees a movie about the future, then he wishes to be in the future. When he wakes up he notices that he's in the future. In the middle of the story he does to different places. You should read the book to find out what happens next! -Dennys and Jhoselin

I read Just A Dream I would recommend this book because it has detailed pictures. In the book I saw the different sized boats with great reflections in the water.This helped convince me that it was a good book.

This book has a great message, but it seems a little more forced than some of his other titles. All of his books are great for teaching children to infer meaning from text!

Just a Dream is a wonderful book because it teaches a lesson and the lesson is to take care of the earth by recycling your trash. You should read this book to learn why it's important to protect the environment. Even one person can make a difference. If I could pick from any book that I already read, I would pick this book as the best one. The author had an awesome idea for writing. He taught a lesson but put it in words that made me want to keep reading. It has colorful pictures that really stand out. I would recommend this book to anyone.

When I read this book a tear came to my eye. I knew Chris Van Allsburg was right about recycling and keeping the earth clean. If there are parents that have kids that actually like to keep the earth clean, I suggest they read it to their kids!

Van Allsburg writes the best stories. His descriptive writing is loved by all ages. His animation is sensetive and realistic making the story come to life in your hands. He is my favorite of all the children's writers. Now I am passing my books on to my kids to read the grandcildren.

Both my son (now 24) and I found this book so entrancing that it has become a standard baby gift, even though children probably can't follow it until they're four or five - they will love it for years. Since we might not remember all those babies later, we want to be sure they don't miss "The Wreck of the Zephyr"!

Even among Chris Van Allsburg's outstanding books, the magic of this one stood out for us. Other favorites were "Jumanji" and "The Polar Express". We thought Van Allsburg's books lost some imaginative steam when he turned to "messages" about things like pollution in the late 1980s. And then, of course, my son grew up so I've not read more recent books. These three books should be part of every child's life. Being able to imagine and dream do more than enrich our experiences; they are also the stuff of which medical breakthroughs, inventions, new business ideas and future wonderful books are made.

I chose this wonderful author not only for his story, but equally importantly for his exquisite illustrations. I gave it to my grandson for his second birthday and he is enthralled with it, and frequently chooses it at bedtime for his Grandma Janet to read again and again. I love it as much as he does, and it is a timeless classic.

Students love this story. Great for teaching how to infer.

jumanji is a WONDERFUL book a real page turner. It was a delight to read and the illustrations were awsone!!!

From the author of Jumanji and Polar Express comes an unforgettable alphabet book. A is for awesome ideas, B is for beautiful illustrations, C is for creativity galore, D is for Don't miss it! This is language at its best. For teachers, here's a perfect model for ideas, word choice, and presentation.

We have been collecting Van Allsburg books for years, adding one or two to our collection each year. This is one of the last ones to be chosen, but I wish we had bought it sooner when our kids were younger. The Z Was Zapped is a fun and artistic presentation of the alphabet. The whole family enjoyed guessing what was happening to each letter based on Van Allsburg's imaginative artwork. Encore!

"The Z was Zapped" is a very boring book. I you are in Kindergarten, first grade, or second grade or if you are just learning how to read, it can be a good book. If you are older, I give it one star. Please only buy this book for age's 7 and under. In a fourth grader's opinion this book should be named "The Baby Boo Bah Book." -Makalia, Fourth Grade, Nantucket, MA

Last Friday, my son, a kindergartener, borrowed this book from the school library. I felt disturbed immediately after browsing through a couple of the pages. Too much violence and insane! I did not like it and I didn't want my son to be exposed to such a book - he is not even 6 yet. But my son insisted to finish all the pages - he likes all the books from the school library.

My husband and I searched online. We found out the author Chris Van Allisburg is a well known illustrator, and this book has been well acclaimed since 1987. To our surprise, we did not find any negative reviews of this book at all. "Are we over-reacting?" we asked ourselves.

After thinking it over, we were back to our common sense.

Here are some excerpts from this book that we found depressing and disturbing:

"The B was badly Bitten." (violence, with a vicious dog head)
"The C was Cut to ribbons." (violence)
"The D was nearly Drowned." (death)
"The F was firmly Flattened." (with a torturing foot firmly and cruelly stepping on letter F)
"The K was quietly Kidnapped." (violence and crime)
"The N was Nailed and Nailed again." (violence and insane)
"The P was repeatedly Pecked." (violence and insane, with a vicious bird)
"The Q was neatly Quartered." (violence and insane, with a big lethal knife)
"The T was all Tied up." (with suffocating ropes tying around letter T)
"The U was abruptly Uprooted." (indicating destruction of life)
"The Z was finally Zapped." (violence and death)

Some may say this book is well illustrated. I agree it is creative and can be considered as a way of art, but ONLY to the readers who are mature enough to digest it.

This book contains too much violence and death related contents, and it is illustrated in a disturbing and torturing way. We don't think it is a good idea to educate young kids about dark side of the life in such a violent and extreme manner.

Movies have rating, so do video games. Should books too? How about music CDs? (Last weekend, my son picked up a free CD from a coffee shop, with songs like "all my friends are evil" and "I am glad you do drugs" - Gee! My fault - I should have paid more attention before allowing him to pick it up.)

We found this book somewhat inappropriate for young kids. Or it should at least be rated as "PG", so that parents can guide the kids about what is OK and what is not.

I told my son that this book contains some inappropriate contents for him to read. At the beginning, he was very upset. After we went through the alphabet, and explained which one is OK, which one is not and why, he seemed being able to understand it. I am glad about the communication between me and my son, and I think it worked.

Amazing
Black & White Illustrations
(Cleverly
Drawn)
Encourage
Folks to
Guess what
Happens that
Ingeniously
Jeopardizes all
Kinds of
Letters.
Many
Naturally
Observant
People
Quickly
Realize
Some
Talent
Underneath
Van Allsburg's
Warped &
eXceptionally
Youthful
Zeal.

This is a great book for children. I bought it as a gift for a four year-old because I loved it when I was little. The book came quickly & in great condition!

This is such a cute and fun book and a great teaching tool. I have used it in my Kindergarten and 4th grade classes to teach "Inferring" and other comprehension skills.

This book was too cute. The ants discover a sugar source but instead of taking it back to the nest they decide to stay. After some ordeals they return to the nest wiser ants. The pictures are great in this one. The book is a lot of fun. I would recommend it for 2nd grade and below.

This book is so, so, so cool! We loved this book very much. We could read it over and over again. It can make a very good gift for someone who loves books. I highly recommend this book for all ages. It has very very good illustrations. This book is really really awesome! It is funny, you would think it would be boring because it is called "Two Bad Ants" but after you start to look at the cool pictures and read more about it, you will think it is really cool, too! It is about two ants who are so close to being eaten but escape. I hope you will enjoy the book. If you buy it I think you will like it a lot. -KM & SS

I am a teacher who works with small groups in our school. One of the things I try to do is help kids look at things from different points of view. This story is told from the point of view of the ants, which is, of course, very different from the human point of view. Some parts of the books should definitely be discussed, because it may not be obvious to children that a forest could be blades of grass or that hot brown bitter liquid could be coffee. Follow-up activities might include students drawing their own pictures from an insect's view point, or writing a story about a small creature's adventures.

I'm mostly responding to the negative review--that the book is not for young children. I LOVED! reading this book with a French accent to my kids and now my grandkids. And they seemed to like it too. The story is not all sweetness and light. But most little kids i've met are figuring out life isn't either. Isn't there something cathartic about seeing disturbing, bad people do what they do, then getting their just desserts?

We both thought this book was great. The pictures are fantastic and the plot not only funny but has a great twist at the end. What would you do with a magic fig? What would your pet do with one? Recommended for ages 4-8 years.

Van Allsburg, as usual, brings us a delightful tale about a "stiff" dentist and his just desserts. The illustrations are typical Allsburg, beautiful and masterful. Somewhat of a morality tale about what might happen if you don't treat others with kindness, but not overt. Very imaginative and engaging. Best for children ages 6-10.

THE SWEETEST FIG combines rather ordinary settings with magic and mystery similarly to what Van Allsburg does in his picture book classics JUMANJI, THE STRANGER, and THE POLAR EXPRESS. The setting of THE SWEETEST FIG is Paris and our main character is a nasty dentist named Bibot living with his long suffering dog Marcel. Through magical means Bibot gets his comeuppance and Marcel the upper hand by the end of the story. Like many picture books (including many of Van Allsburg's) the illustrations, theme and language are really too sophisticated for the Preschool/Kindergarten picture book crowd and can be much better appreciated by children in elementary/middle school. Bibot does appear in his underwear in one scene and there is some implied violence in some of the illustrations but nothing else to make this clever story objectionable to the average reader.

The Sweetest Fig, by Chris Van Allsburg is one of those unique books that is simply "different." I can think of no other way of describing this book, other than delightfully and simply "quirky." It is an absolute delight for both young and old. It is a simple story of an uptight dentist, a long suffering dog, an old, poor lady down on her luck, and two very interesting, magic figs which will make your dreams come true. The dentist takes the two magic figs, rather begrudgingly, as payment for dental work done for the old lady.

Now this is enough of the story line. This is a story of greed and the consequences of greed. The art work in this small book is absolutely wonderful. The longer you study each frame, the better it gets. The text is quite simple and very easy to understand. The story explores a side of human nature (for some people) that needs to be explored. Your kids will be running into individual like our unlikeable dentist all of their lives, and this book will give them something to remember and something to snicker about as they get older. Now some folk, I like to call them the "hand-wringers" will think that the story, and the way it is told, may not be appropriate for younger children. Yes, there is some implied mild violence, some very sly and vague Freudian imagery (if your child can spot this, then she or he is well beyond the understanding level of most adults and you probably need to upgrade the child's reading list.) and indeed, the way the greedy dentist treats his dog is not nice at all. This of course is the responsibility of each individual parent to make this decision, but for the life of me, I cannot find the objection here.

This wonderful morality tale gives the parent loads of little items that can be discussed with the child as the story is being read, and there are many little lessons to be learned here. I have read this book to children in the class room as young as six and they all certainly got the meaning of the story, enjoyed it, and loved it when the dentist got what was coming to him. Let us not underestimate the brightness of our children. In many ways they are much smarter and more perceptive than we are. Recommend this one highly. (Love the little dog, by the way).

A City In Winter is a wonderful book. It's about a little girl who goes on an adventure to find the person who killed her parents. When she gets to the village, she meets two bakers who's names are Astrahn and Notorincus. They help her throgh the story. They told the little girl that if she ever got caught, to tell them that she's a yam culer. During the story, the little girl works in the yam kitchen and finally meets up with the tutor, that raised her when she was little. He knows that she is the queen and in order to keep her safe, he sacrifices himself to tell everyone that the queen is alive. Also in order for the queen to be safe, Astrahn and Notorincus ran up the stairs to the tutor's room. On the way, Astrahn is shot and can't go on. So Notorincus finished running up the stairs and kept the queen safe.In the end the little girl opens the door and everything and everyone gets silent, for they know that she is the queen.I thought that this book was a great book!!

This i must say is one of the most kickin books i ever read. the themes of good and evil are represented so fully in this book.The sequel to this novel is just as well recieved by me. If you really are reading this then i hope i have touched your soul and that you read this book. This is specificly to Mark Helprin, you are the coolest author i have read in so long.If you write anymore then you email me and i will read it as soon as i can find it. In other words you rule.
Peace out,
Joe

I loved this series by Mark Helprin. I'm a big fan of Winters Tale, and this was just as enjoyable. These are wonderful to read aloud to children, or to pass around and take turns with, as we've done with the Harry Potter and other series. Beautiful artwork, and thick shining pages make this book a keepsake, and a sumptuous pleasure to read. In this retelling of Swan Lake, all things are possible... you'll find yourself laughing one moment, tense the next, and always riveted. I also found the strong and triumphant female lead character refreshing, ..the story is told from her point of view, after all this has happened, a narrative to her not yet born child.

What a strange book this is! Part childrens' fairy tale (old school - bad things do happen to good people), part political satire, part fantasy, A City in Winter weaves an enchanting melody amidst its disconcordant environment.

I'm not sure who the target audience is - the illustrations and language make the book suitable for kids, while the bizarre characters and convoluted social system are friendly rejoinders against centralism and establishment.

One thing is certain - it is brilliantly written - a captivating book that takes little time to devour. The imagery is outstanding, the characters are engaging and enjoyable, and the plot moves along handsomely. For as short a book as this is, there is sufficient depth to make it worth more than one read.

Dear Mr. Helprin,

Hi! I'm one of your fans. I'm a ten-year-old fourth grader. I have just read your book A City in Winter and I enjoyed it. I also liked the illustrations-nice choice to collaborate with Chris Van Allsburg. I loved everything about your book!

I can even summarize A City in Winter for you. Your story starts out with a queen writing to her unborn child about her difficult life. She writes about her grandparents being assassinated by an evil usurper when her mother was a baby, and the same usurper assassinated her own mother and father when she was a baby.

Until this Queen was ten years old she lived in the mountains as a simple country girl who barely knew a soul. Her tutor, or as she knew him growing up "Grandfather," told her about her real history when she was almost ten years old. When she discovered her history, she set out to find and free her rightful kingdom from the evil usurper who rules her people cruelly.

When she reached her kingdom she became a yam sorter in the palace that the usurper had conquered. In the middle of her time there her tutor came to her and gave her the message that the scholars in her kingdom had been waiting for a sign of her existence for ten years. The sign would be "a burning angel through a darkening sky." This sign would alert her Damavand army generals that they should assemble and it would give the people courage to rise up against the usurper. At the end of the book the Queen opens a door and looks out over her assembled troops, but what will happen to her next? Have you written or have you considered writing a continuation of this book? If you haven't, I recommend doing so because I found the ending a real cliffhanger.

I would recommend this book to anyone. Your writing is sculpted beautifully; you make me feel like I'm in the kingdom you write about. I'd like to find out more about your life and your writing.

Your fan,

Divina

I am a children's magician who bought this book after seeing it on Reading Rainbow. I buy a book for every one of my library shows, and after reading it to the children as part of the show (with the help of my trusty side kick, a sheep dog puppet), we donate the book to the library. This book featured the three most important things relating to the show I was performing at the time : A dog, and child, and a mysterious old retired magician. Chirs Van Allsburg writes such incredible stuff, but this was a real find. Th kids loved it, the librarian loved, it, and it now has a new home at the Golden Gate Library in Naples, FL ! HIGHLY recommended....

I liked this story. The storyline is simple but the pictures lead you to ponder on the story afterwards a little more.

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi was given to my husband and me when it was first published because we owned (and brought to work every day)a white bull terrier. Needless to say we loved it, but it is a measure of the volume's enduring appeal that years later it became a favorite of our sons' and that recently our now 23 year old,begged to be allowed to add that same copy to his own library. Now I am ordering a copy for a niece and nephew in hopes that they too will become fans. This one's a classic.

We chose four stars for this book because it has a lot of expression but not much detail. The reason we did not choose five stars is because the first time we read it we thought it was kind of sad and did not like the trick Gasazi pulled on Alan. -Maggie and Wyatt, NES

This book was very enthralling to me. It was about a boy who has to take care of someone's evil dog. One day, they go for a walk and near a dog-forbidden magical garden. The leash breaks, and the boy must go find the dog. He goes up to the house of Abdul, and finds out that the dog has been transformed into a duck! He goes back home very worried. When the owner of the dog returns, he tells her the sad story. Then, all of a sudden, the dog appears.