Magic Michael,

by Louis Slobodkin

All small boys love to pretend they are "something or other," much to the dismay of their sisters and parents! In this delightful book by a Caldecott Medal-winning author, Michael's sister tells how he was a cow, then a stork, a kangaroo, a rock and "hard things that you could never tell," like electricity, a mop, or a "deep dark well." It seemed there was no stopping Michael's boundless imagination, until one day his father brought him a surprise...and things changed.

Genres: Picture Books

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

Louis Slobodkin entered the Beaux Arts Institute of Design, where he studied drawing, composition, and sculpture, at the age of fifteen. In his six years there, he won over 20 medals for his work, and was awarded the Louis Tiffany Foundation Fellowship.

In 1927, Slobodkin married Florence Gersh, a poet and children's author. However, Slobodkin did not become involved in children's literature until 1941, when he illustrated The Moffats, by his friend Eleonor Estes.

In 1944, Louis Slobodkin won the Caldecott Medal for illustrating Many Moons, written by James Thurber.

During his career, Slobodkin illustrated nearly 90 books, 50 of which he also wrote. He and his wife collaborated on five books.

Reviews

[SBC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of the rhyming couplets that make up this story. The illustrations weren't really to my taste either. The plot is about a boy who wants to be more than a boy - so he pretends he is animals and inanimate objects.