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Magic Spell
Award-winning author and illustrator Julie Paschkis casts a spell to transform word play into an entertaining and hilarious picture book that’s perfect for reading aloud.
With his trusty assistant, Zaza, by his side, magician the Great Aziz can turn
a d ish into a f ish,
a r ose into a h ose,
and a w ire into a f ire.
But when Aziz turns Zaza’s
w ig into a p ig—
well, he’s gone too far!
This beautifully illustrated picture book by critically acclaimed author and illustrator Julie Paschkis will have readers laughing out loud at this very silly story, all while learning very basic lessons about word play.
With his trusty assistant, Zaza, by his side, magician the Great Aziz can turn
a d ish into a f ish,
a r ose into a h ose,
and a w ire into a f ire.
But when Aziz turns Zaza’s
w ig into a p ig—
well, he’s gone too far!
This beautifully illustrated picture book by critically acclaimed author and illustrator Julie Paschkis will have readers laughing out loud at this very silly story, all while learning very basic lessons about word play.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2017
32 people want to read
About the author
Julie Paschkis
61 books28 followersI was born in 1957 and grew up in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. I have a brother and two sisters. My parents encouraged us to make things, to read, to draw and to play outside.
I attended Germantown Friends School, Ringerike Folkehogskole in Norway, Cornell University and the School for American Craftsmen at RIT, where I got a BFA. I have a teaching certificate from UW and I taught art to children for several years, mostly at the Bush School.
Since 1991 I have been painting and illustrating full time. I have had many shows of my paintings and of various other work (including cut paper, embroidery and bread). I illustrate books. I design fabric and make quilts. My work flows in many directions, but all of the ideas and creations are connected. The work I do in one area inspires the work in others. Ideas beget ideas.
I live in Seattle with my husband Joe Max Emminger. He is a painter.
I still like to make things, to read, draw and play outside.
I attended Germantown Friends School, Ringerike Folkehogskole in Norway, Cornell University and the School for American Craftsmen at RIT, where I got a BFA. I have a teaching certificate from UW and I taught art to children for several years, mostly at the Bush School.
Since 1991 I have been painting and illustrating full time. I have had many shows of my paintings and of various other work (including cut paper, embroidery and bread). I illustrate books. I design fabric and make quilts. My work flows in many directions, but all of the ideas and creations are connected. The work I do in one area inspires the work in others. Ideas beget ideas.
I live in Seattle with my husband Joe Max Emminger. He is a painter.
I still like to make things, to read, draw and play outside.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 23, 2017
The magic in the ways the magician works his "spells" starts out simple, but then gets complicated and crazy when his assistant starts retaliating. Eventually the two realize they must collaborate...or else.
June 15, 2017
Paschkis, Julie Magic Spell. PICTURE BOOK. Simon & Schuster, 2017. $18.
The magician casts his spell during his show each night by doing things like turning a “rose” into a “hose” with just the flip of a letter. When he makes the mistake of turning his assistant’s “wig’ into a “pig”, however, the ensuing battle is almost the end of them.
The changes in each word are highlighted by the use of a simple red letter. I don’t think this is enough to give a young reader a clue as to what is happening. When the longer changes happen, it just becomes confusing because it all happens so quickly. The battle is funny, but I wish the formatting of the book has been a little more thoughtful.
EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
The magician casts his spell during his show each night by doing things like turning a “rose” into a “hose” with just the flip of a letter. When he makes the mistake of turning his assistant’s “wig’ into a “pig”, however, the ensuing battle is almost the end of them.
The changes in each word are highlighted by the use of a simple red letter. I don’t think this is enough to give a young reader a clue as to what is happening. When the longer changes happen, it just becomes confusing because it all happens so quickly. The battle is funny, but I wish the formatting of the book has been a little more thoughtful.
EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
May 28, 2017
Fun story which begins with a magician who turns a rose into a hose and a wire into a fire. The crowd is amazed but his beautiful assistant gets angry when her turns her wig into a pig. Then she grabs the magic wand and takes it up a notch. She doesn't just change beginning letters she changes ending and middle letters too. Soon the magician and his assistant are both trying to outdo each other making a bag into a bug and a coat into a goat... into a boat... into a boot... into a book... When the magician turns her beads into bears they realize they have to work together to capture the bears and save their show.
August 25, 2017
The art is very cute and will engage readers from preschool up to probably early middle school. Paschkis' rhyming scheme will also keep young readers interested while helping them see the changes from word to word, helping them make connections in their vocabulary. It's a bit cumbersome to read out loud, but with a little bit of practice it can be a fun book for children and caregivers to read together.
May 28, 2017
2.5 stars rounded up. The concept is clever, and the signboard illustration on the back cover is promising, but the execution falls a little flat. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but the story just doesn't feel satisfying. I'd love to see the concept done better, because the magic of letters and words — their inherent potential and permutation — is a favorite of mine.
August 5, 2017
The premise of this book is interesting and I love Paschkis' art style, but I wish the type had been bigger or more distinct for the letter changes. I think as a librarian I would like to share this as a readaloud, but I'll probably write the words on a white board as we read.
August 21, 2017
Clever word pairings build the suspense and keep the story moving quickly. I wanted to read faster and faster. Very satisfying ending.
Swirly lines of full color illustrations match the smooth movements of the magicians.
Swirly lines of full color illustrations match the smooth movements of the magicians.
April 1, 2017
Fun wordplay in the midst of an entertaining magic show.
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April 14, 2017Unique, as all her books are. Maybe for first grade or higher to pick up on the slight wordplay?
April 22, 2017
A great book that helps with word endings. Turns a dish into a fish, rose into a hose, ect. Good for storytime.
April 27, 2017
Lots of silly fun for early readers.
June 21, 2017
Fun exaggerated wordplay that will sure to be a hit with kids. Fun, exaggerated, bright drawings add to the experience.
August 1, 2017
Spelling magic
August 23, 2017
Aziz is a wonderful magician with a wonderful assistant. Aziz can turn a bug into a rug, and a rug into a rag! Wonderful wordplay with colorful illustrations as an accompaniment.
October 19, 2017
Change one letter, make a new word!
April 6, 2018
Read again when kids are starting to read. The basic premise is that changing one letter in the world magically transforms things into the new word.
December 18, 2019
Used this during a storytime. I think it worked pretty well. I was worried that the illustrations were a little too strange, but this definitely held everyone's attention. Some of the words might be a little too difficult for some ages.
August 10, 2019
An elementary level picture book about a magiciana nd his assistant and their magical war where they keep changing things by one letter which drastically changes the magic act.
June 2, 2020
This was perfect for Kait, who can already handle word families/rhyming words but she had to stretch a bit to get the other letter changes.
March 8, 2022
Super cute. Daughter enjoyed.
March 13, 2024
Perfect for magic storytime.
Literacy tip about rhyming because they turn something into a rhyming word:
rose into hose.
More Pre-K appropriate based on text and length
Literacy tip about rhyming because they turn something into a rhyming word:
rose into hose.
More Pre-K appropriate based on text and length
November 2, 2025
This was a fun book, and the art worked really well.
October 3, 2019
Iggi's Storytime Criteria
Age group: Elementary+
Content: magic show, spelling, friends having a fight
Plot: magician and his assistant put on a magic show, but the assistant wants to be treated better and starts magicing back. Each spell is done by changing a letter in the word.
Wordiness: Mid to High
Length: Medium
Illustrations: Swooshy and dynamic, a bit hard to read at a distance, especially the hand lettering.
Other: would be great for a spelling program or unit
Age group: Elementary+
Content: magic show, spelling, friends having a fight
Plot: magician and his assistant put on a magic show, but the assistant wants to be treated better and starts magicing back. Each spell is done by changing a letter in the word.
Wordiness: Mid to High
Length: Medium
Illustrations: Swooshy and dynamic, a bit hard to read at a distance, especially the hand lettering.
Other: would be great for a spelling program or unit
April 2, 2017
A magician and his assistant perform incredible feats as they substitute one letter for another in different words.
April 11, 2017
A magician and his assistant turn things into new things by replacing letters in the words. The replaced letters stand out in red, although the text is very small on each page. The illustrations are often more suggestions than clear designs, and each page has quite a lot going on.
April 19, 2017
Loved how this book started out with the first letters of words changing to make new words but when the magician goes too far his assistant casts some spells on the magician. The assistant prompts a change in how the words change into new words. She changes the middle letters, last letters, creates word ladders and so on. The patterns are more difficult to follow. This would be a good book for teaching word families, rhyming, and word play in general but it may be difficult for beginning readers to grasp the changes without support.
April 25, 2017
A magician and his lovely assistant square off against each other using wordplay as they attempt to best one another.
Gouache and ink illustrations. PreK-2.
Gouache and ink illustrations. PreK-2.
April 27, 2017
Colorful, fun illustrations with a great way to learn different letter sounds and about rhyming words.
Themes: magic, working together
Themes: magic, working together
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews