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The Magicians Elephant
Last updated Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Yoko Tanaka
Date of Publication: 2009
ISBN: 1406324477
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Oct. 2020
Synopsis:
When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that evokes the largest of themes - hope and belonging, desire and compassion - with the lightness of a magician’s touch.
| Note to readers: |
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This is an old-timey story written in old-timey language. It takes place "at the end of the century before last," for example, instead of at the end of the 17th or 18th century. The coinage is "a florit." The author, Kate DiCamillo, also wrote The Taile of Desperaux.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Peter has been given money by Vilna Lutz to buy food, but he spends part of it on a fortuneteller instead. In "Jack and the Beanstalk," Jack makes a similar choice when he trades his cow for five magic beans instead of selling it. Can you think of any other stories that begin with an errand that is waylaid?
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When he is standing in line in the market, Peter overhears the fishmonger say, "Well, he wasn't much of a magician, and none of them was expecting much, you see—that's the thing. Nothing was expected.... He hadn't promised them nothing special, and they wasn't expecting it neither" (page 19). Who is the fishmonger talking about? - What happened that was out of the ordinary? How does the unexpected event change the attitude of the city (see pages 55 and 59)? Does it affect everyone in the same way? Can you think of an unexpected event in your own life that changed you? How?
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Have you seen an elephant?
Vocabulary
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guardian - a person who looks after and is legally responsible for someone else, like a child without parents
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fishmonger - a fish seller
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merchants - someone who owns a store and sells things
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silversmiths - a person who makes things out of silver, like a jeweler
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fanfare - flourish, showiness, elaborate ceremony
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profound - very great or intense
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audacity - a willingness to take bold risks
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spat - past tense of "spit"
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conjure -
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at the behest of -
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confined - locked up
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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What do you think will happen next? Spoiler: Adele, in the meantime, has been living at the orphanage for the last six years, since she was brought there are as a baby. She often dreams of an elephant coming to save her from the orphanage and to take her home. Finally, one night, Adele's dream comes true.
While leading the elephant to the magician to try to get him to reverse the spell, Peter and his sister reunite. The magician is able to return the elephant to her home. From this point on, the two children live together with their new parents, Leo Matienne and his wife Gloria, who are unable to have children of their own.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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