What do you think?
Rate this book
Magic Candies
A quirky story about finding your voice, from internationally acclaimed author Heena Baek.
Tong Tong could never have imagined what everyone around him was thinking. But when he gets hold of some magic candies, suddenly there are voices everywhere. He can hear how his couch feels, what upsets his dog, that his demanding dad loves him. He even gets to catch up with his dead grandmother. It turns out, these voices in Tong Tong’s life have A LOT to say! Is Tong Tong ready to hear it?
At turns funny, weird, and heartfelt, this imaginative picture book from award-winning Korean author Heena Baek will take readers along on Tong Tong’s journey as he goes from lonely to brave.
Tong Tong could never have imagined what everyone around him was thinking. But when he gets hold of some magic candies, suddenly there are voices everywhere. He can hear how his couch feels, what upsets his dog, that his demanding dad loves him. He even gets to catch up with his dead grandmother. It turns out, these voices in Tong Tong’s life have A LOT to say! Is Tong Tong ready to hear it?
At turns funny, weird, and heartfelt, this imaginative picture book from award-winning Korean author Heena Baek will take readers along on Tong Tong’s journey as he goes from lonely to brave.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2017
115 people are currently reading
3504 people want to read
About the author
Baek Heena
30 books48 followersBaek Heena is one of Korea’s most recognized picture book artists. With a background in film animation, her unique visual style features handmade miniature figurines and environments painstakingly lighted and photographed. She has published thirteen picture books that are popular throughout Asia, a number of which have been translated.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
August 23, 2021
3.5⭐
This is a children's book by talented Korean author, illustrator and animator, Heena Baek. The illustrations are claymation characters with 3D visuals. People in this book look rather strange or quirky depending on their facial expressions. I love the details in the background which are stunning with shadows and gorgeous color.
A lonely boy, Tong Tong goes to a store for marbles to play by himself. What he thought are marbles are actually a bag of magic candies! With these candies, Tong Tong can hear voices; from objects, animals, and people. The story tugs at my heartstrings a little, but has a happy and lovely ending.
Amazon First
Available September 1, 2021
This is a children's book by talented Korean author, illustrator and animator, Heena Baek. The illustrations are claymation characters with 3D visuals. People in this book look rather strange or quirky depending on their facial expressions. I love the details in the background which are stunning with shadows and gorgeous color.
A lonely boy, Tong Tong goes to a store for marbles to play by himself. What he thought are marbles are actually a bag of magic candies! With these candies, Tong Tong can hear voices; from objects, animals, and people. The story tugs at my heartstrings a little, but has a happy and lovely ending.
Amazon First
Available September 1, 2021
May 10, 2021
Part of the problem with being an American reviewer of children’s books is that my ability to see what else is available in that great big wonderful world out there is limited. Unless I hop a plane to the Bologna Book Fair, I’m not able to see what’s coming out overseas (and even then, I’m just seeing the stuff that’s popping up at that fair). It’s severely limiting. For example, when Magic Candies fell into my lap, I had no idea that its creator Heena Baek (as she’s named in America, and “Baek Heena” in other countries) had thirty picture books already to her name. As a creator, Baek excels in bringing incredible amounts of emotion and feeling out of picture books starring small photographed models. Magic Candies is the first of her books to hit American shores, and it is clear from the get go that this is the work of a woman that has been in the business for years and years. After all, the sheer skill of the project is starkly evident from the first page. Deeply touching, funny, and incredibly odd, this is the kind of picture book that gets you excited about picture books all over again.
Tong Tong’s a pretty lonely kid, but if you asked he’d tell you he was fine playing marbles by himself. One day, while looking for some additional marbles at the corner store, he comes across a pack of six marble-looking candies. After trying the first, he’s shocked to discover that he can now understand the couch and can find the remote between its cushions. The brown and white spotted one? Now Tong Tong can understand his pet dog, and the two come to a new understanding. With every candy he eats, Tong Tong is able to hear things no one else can and by listening he comes to understand them better. Finally, there’s a single candy left. It’s clear as glass and entirely transparent and when he pops it in his mouth, Tong Tong realizes that the one voice he hasn’t really heard is his own. So, to the kid he sees in the park, he asks, “Do you want to play with me?” The final shot shows the two skateboarding and scootering away together.
Have you ever picked up a blob of Play-doh and attempted to mold it into a human head? You have a general sense of where the eyes, nose, and hair should be, but though you can see it clearly in your mind, your untrained fingers just can’t seem to figure out how to convey that image into the clay. In the field of picture books I’ve admired a great many different kinds of photographed models over the years. Yuyi Morales did it expertly in Tony Johnston’s My Abuelita. Jane Dyer managed it in this year’s Teaflet and Roog with felt. Red Nose Studio does a meticulous job in books like Elvis Is King. And in each case, you just gape at the amount of technical expertise that must go into the work. Not simply the models themselves, but the photography and all that that entails (lighting, shadow, focal points, etc.). Baek’s very good at tiny details, as with the objects on the shopkeeper’s shelves (beautifully kept out of focus in the background behind the characters) but to my mind her greatest asset is her ability to draw such incredible emotions out of her human characters’ faces. Tong Tong, in particular, goes through such a wide range of facial expressions that you never have any doubt how he feels from one moment to the next. There's a two page sequence where you see him express four different expressions in rapid succession. From burying his head in his dad’s back with a hug to his literal jaw-drop at the talking couch, you are with Tong Tong every step of the way. This kid feels real. Even on the cover, where he examines that shiny pink candy, you can see that his two front teeth are just a little bit misaligned. That tiny detail slays me. Whole books could be written about all the things you could learn about Tong Tong just by watching him in this story. Heena Baek has brought to life a three-dimensional, fully defined world that feels as real as the book in your hands.
Now let’s talk fonts! What fun! Bear with me now because how this book integrates the text with the images is worth a close look. I took a peek at a little of the original book and its Korean text and compared it to this translation. What changed in the interim is interesting. In the original book the text was always in black. Here, the words that come from the orange couch are orange and from the dog with the raspberry collar, the text is raspberry too. But more than just typographical integrations, the full page of text that appears after the dad gets home fascinated me. Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award jury member Elina Drucker described this page as a “suffocating block of text.” Reading it aloud, I can attest, takes a lot of work. I had to do my best imitation of the Micro Machine guy as I worked through the dad’s litany of advice to his son (and parents like me may blush a little when they recognize themselves in some of his insistences). When that page has passed and you realize that the silent thing the father is saying behind all of these words is actually “I love you, I love you, I love you” you may take a step back and look at Tong Tong’s situation. His mom appears to be out of the picture. His dad looks exhausted, but he’s holding down his role as the single parent as best as he can. You just wanna give the guy a hug from behind too. And were Baek not wielding the text in the way that she does, you could miss a huge chunk of that emotional resonance.
With a book this visually innovative it’s easy to get hung up on the illustrations and forget to talk about the writing. I want to give full credit, first and foremost, to translator Sophie Bowman who does a magnificent job of conveying Baek’s storyline. For all that Baek excels at conveying emotion through faces, the actual writing on the page is almost more impressive. I read this book with my six-year-old son, just to get a feel for whether or not he’d be able to pick up what it was laying down. His older sister had conveyed some uncertainty over the images, so I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about the storyline itself. As each candy was devoured he pointed out how it would look like the person or thing that was about to speak. At the end of the book we reached the final transparent candy. “Why’s it see through?” I asked him. “Because he can now talk for himself,” said my kid, without hesitation. And that right there, ladies and gentlemen, is how a child can nail a book’s concept. This story isn’t simply about cool candies that make things talk. It’s about realizing that sometimes you take for granted your voice. A thing that so many things and people around you simply do not, or cannot, have.
An easy dig at American picture books is to say that the vast majority of them all look very much the same. Occasionally some celebrity will write a book for kids and say that they did so because they just couldn’t find anything out there that was good (Madonna was a particularly egregious villain in this respect). It's not true, but sometimes it can feel that way. That’s why something like Magic Candies is so remarkable. Right from the get-go it doesn’t look like anything else out there. It doesn’t read like anything else out there. And it doesn't feel like anything else out there. My sincere hope is that this will be its advantage in the U.S. market. And hey, with any luck, if this book does well enough we may be lucky enough to get a translation of Baek’s I Am a Dog, the prequel to Magic Candies that’s narrated by Tong Tong’s dog. Until that happy day arrives, you can appreciate Magic Candies for what it has accomplished. A book that is both about giving voice to the voiceless and finding your own.
For ages 4-7
Tong Tong’s a pretty lonely kid, but if you asked he’d tell you he was fine playing marbles by himself. One day, while looking for some additional marbles at the corner store, he comes across a pack of six marble-looking candies. After trying the first, he’s shocked to discover that he can now understand the couch and can find the remote between its cushions. The brown and white spotted one? Now Tong Tong can understand his pet dog, and the two come to a new understanding. With every candy he eats, Tong Tong is able to hear things no one else can and by listening he comes to understand them better. Finally, there’s a single candy left. It’s clear as glass and entirely transparent and when he pops it in his mouth, Tong Tong realizes that the one voice he hasn’t really heard is his own. So, to the kid he sees in the park, he asks, “Do you want to play with me?” The final shot shows the two skateboarding and scootering away together.
Have you ever picked up a blob of Play-doh and attempted to mold it into a human head? You have a general sense of where the eyes, nose, and hair should be, but though you can see it clearly in your mind, your untrained fingers just can’t seem to figure out how to convey that image into the clay. In the field of picture books I’ve admired a great many different kinds of photographed models over the years. Yuyi Morales did it expertly in Tony Johnston’s My Abuelita. Jane Dyer managed it in this year’s Teaflet and Roog with felt. Red Nose Studio does a meticulous job in books like Elvis Is King. And in each case, you just gape at the amount of technical expertise that must go into the work. Not simply the models themselves, but the photography and all that that entails (lighting, shadow, focal points, etc.). Baek’s very good at tiny details, as with the objects on the shopkeeper’s shelves (beautifully kept out of focus in the background behind the characters) but to my mind her greatest asset is her ability to draw such incredible emotions out of her human characters’ faces. Tong Tong, in particular, goes through such a wide range of facial expressions that you never have any doubt how he feels from one moment to the next. There's a two page sequence where you see him express four different expressions in rapid succession. From burying his head in his dad’s back with a hug to his literal jaw-drop at the talking couch, you are with Tong Tong every step of the way. This kid feels real. Even on the cover, where he examines that shiny pink candy, you can see that his two front teeth are just a little bit misaligned. That tiny detail slays me. Whole books could be written about all the things you could learn about Tong Tong just by watching him in this story. Heena Baek has brought to life a three-dimensional, fully defined world that feels as real as the book in your hands.
Now let’s talk fonts! What fun! Bear with me now because how this book integrates the text with the images is worth a close look. I took a peek at a little of the original book and its Korean text and compared it to this translation. What changed in the interim is interesting. In the original book the text was always in black. Here, the words that come from the orange couch are orange and from the dog with the raspberry collar, the text is raspberry too. But more than just typographical integrations, the full page of text that appears after the dad gets home fascinated me. Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award jury member Elina Drucker described this page as a “suffocating block of text.” Reading it aloud, I can attest, takes a lot of work. I had to do my best imitation of the Micro Machine guy as I worked through the dad’s litany of advice to his son (and parents like me may blush a little when they recognize themselves in some of his insistences). When that page has passed and you realize that the silent thing the father is saying behind all of these words is actually “I love you, I love you, I love you” you may take a step back and look at Tong Tong’s situation. His mom appears to be out of the picture. His dad looks exhausted, but he’s holding down his role as the single parent as best as he can. You just wanna give the guy a hug from behind too. And were Baek not wielding the text in the way that she does, you could miss a huge chunk of that emotional resonance.
With a book this visually innovative it’s easy to get hung up on the illustrations and forget to talk about the writing. I want to give full credit, first and foremost, to translator Sophie Bowman who does a magnificent job of conveying Baek’s storyline. For all that Baek excels at conveying emotion through faces, the actual writing on the page is almost more impressive. I read this book with my six-year-old son, just to get a feel for whether or not he’d be able to pick up what it was laying down. His older sister had conveyed some uncertainty over the images, so I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about the storyline itself. As each candy was devoured he pointed out how it would look like the person or thing that was about to speak. At the end of the book we reached the final transparent candy. “Why’s it see through?” I asked him. “Because he can now talk for himself,” said my kid, without hesitation. And that right there, ladies and gentlemen, is how a child can nail a book’s concept. This story isn’t simply about cool candies that make things talk. It’s about realizing that sometimes you take for granted your voice. A thing that so many things and people around you simply do not, or cannot, have.
An easy dig at American picture books is to say that the vast majority of them all look very much the same. Occasionally some celebrity will write a book for kids and say that they did so because they just couldn’t find anything out there that was good (Madonna was a particularly egregious villain in this respect). It's not true, but sometimes it can feel that way. That’s why something like Magic Candies is so remarkable. Right from the get-go it doesn’t look like anything else out there. It doesn’t read like anything else out there. And it doesn't feel like anything else out there. My sincere hope is that this will be its advantage in the U.S. market. And hey, with any luck, if this book does well enough we may be lucky enough to get a translation of Baek’s I Am a Dog, the prequel to Magic Candies that’s narrated by Tong Tong’s dog. Until that happy day arrives, you can appreciate Magic Candies for what it has accomplished. A book that is both about giving voice to the voiceless and finding your own.
For ages 4-7
August 23, 2021
Magic happens when some tasty candies allow a little boy to hear what others are thinking . . . even inanimate objects, and his dog. A fun tale with GORGEOUS illustrations.
January 20, 2022
Tong Tong's that weird kid who does everything alone because no one wants to be his friend.
He says he's fine with that, he likes playing marbles by himself, but he needs more marbles.
What he gets, instead, is a bag of magic candies.
As he sucks on the candies, he hears the voices of the things in his environment, from his sofa to his dog, Marbles, to what his dad is really saying when he grumpily orders his child around.
The candies help Tong Tong get out of his head and allow him to interact with the world around him.
The illustrations are both alarming and charming. Tong Tong's expressions are reminiscent of Tim Burton's animation and Roald Dahl's characters but with an extra unnerving element. However, Tong Tong's little rolled jeans are absolutely delightful and the detailed backgrounds are lovely. My eyes were intrigued while also being a tad repulsed, which I enjoyed.
He says he's fine with that, he likes playing marbles by himself, but he needs more marbles.
What he gets, instead, is a bag of magic candies.
As he sucks on the candies, he hears the voices of the things in his environment, from his sofa to his dog, Marbles, to what his dad is really saying when he grumpily orders his child around.
The candies help Tong Tong get out of his head and allow him to interact with the world around him.
The illustrations are both alarming and charming. Tong Tong's expressions are reminiscent of Tim Burton's animation and Roald Dahl's characters but with an extra unnerving element. However, Tong Tong's little rolled jeans are absolutely delightful and the detailed backgrounds are lovely. My eyes were intrigued while also being a tad repulsed, which I enjoyed.
March 22, 2022
There are some nice sentiments as the magic candies of the title help a Korean kid span some communication gaps he doesn't seem aware he has, but the artwork is created with miniatures and photography, giving it a stop-motion animation look that's a little too creepy and off-putting for me. I might enjoy this more if it were actually an animated movie.
(Another project! I'm reading all the picture books and graphic novels from NPR's Books We Love 2021: Kids’ Books list.)
(Another project! I'm reading all the picture books and graphic novels from NPR's Books We Love 2021: Kids’ Books list.)
September 2, 2021
This one was odd. Not my cup of tea but it was interesting, I'll give it that.
November 2, 2020
Älskar denna 🍬
August 12, 2021
I loved this!! This book is incredibly innovative, playing with fonts and layouts, as well as a unique art style that I just absolutely adored. The characters are sculpted out of clay, which creates the most striking visual images and dimension. The level of detail gives such depth to to the scenery and story. A huge part of the reason I enjoyed this story so much was because of the art. The colors are so rich and saturated. The physical art style gives it texture. And the playful use of fonts/layouts on each page makes it exciting and fun to read. And then there's the story itself. Which was so cute and fun and unique. And unexpected. Tong Tong, after eating special hard candies, finds he can hear different things: his couch, his dog, his dad's thoughts... At it's core, this story is about perspectives. And Tong Tong learning about the perspectives of others. I found it really sweet, when after being annoyed at his dad for nagging him so much, he then heard his dad's thoughts and realized... it's because he loves him. Perspectives. It also makes a really nice full circle, beginning with Tong Tong playing with marbles alone, and ending with him asking someone if they'd like to play too. This story is a visual gift. Beautiful and interesting and I recommend 10/10!
October 30, 2021
When Tong Tong pops a hard candy in his mouth, he is taken aback by what he hears coming from his opinionated couch, his loveable dog, and the true thoughts behind his dad's excessive demands.
Kids will love the concept of magical candy that makes things, animals, and the true feelings of a father, talk. My curiosity was peeked, wondering what the next hard candy would reveal. The last see-through candy gives Tong Tong the little bit of courage that he needs to make friends.
Reviewed by: Miss Kelsey, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
Kids will love the concept of magical candy that makes things, animals, and the true feelings of a father, talk. My curiosity was peeked, wondering what the next hard candy would reveal. The last see-through candy gives Tong Tong the little bit of courage that he needs to make friends.
Reviewed by: Miss Kelsey, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
June 24, 2021
It's worth noting that I've only seen a few pages of this book (translated) but that was enough. I am so excited about holding this book, taking it in, then sharing it! Magic Candies has beautiful, expressive characters and an undeniably intriguing plot. I hope we'll see more from this talented author/artist in the US.
September 22, 2025
Watch my review on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/live/nBb8gHm-...
KBS Korea 24 @KBSKorea24
“For #KoreaBookClub this week, @barrypwelsh introduces us to a children’s book called “Magic Candies” by the celebrated illustrator and animator Baek Heena, about a boy who discovers candies that allow him to hear the thoughts of people, animals, and even objects. #알사탕 #백희나”
#KBSWORLDRadio #KBS월드라디오 #Korea24 #코리아24 #책추천 #책스타그램 #북스타그램 #bookstagram #book #reading #KoreanLiterature
19:10-20:00 KST, Mon-Fri on KBS WORLD Radio.
Download the KBS Kong / KBS WORLD Radio Mobile apps or subscribe to the Korea 24 podcast for your daily updates!
http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/progra...
KBS Korea 24 @KBSKorea24
“For #KoreaBookClub this week, @barrypwelsh introduces us to a children’s book called “Magic Candies” by the celebrated illustrator and animator Baek Heena, about a boy who discovers candies that allow him to hear the thoughts of people, animals, and even objects. #알사탕 #백희나”
#KBSWORLDRadio #KBS월드라디오 #Korea24 #코리아24 #책추천 #책스타그램 #북스타그램 #bookstagram #book #reading #KoreanLiterature
19:10-20:00 KST, Mon-Fri on KBS WORLD Radio.
Download the KBS Kong / KBS WORLD Radio Mobile apps or subscribe to the Korea 24 podcast for your daily updates!
http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/progra...
August 4, 2021
Very sweet and quirky book
Such charming illustrations!!! The story is very quirky and may not be the right fit for everyone, but I loved it! (Spoilers) the sofa's thoughts add some great humor, the dog's are a nice burst of understanding, there's a sweet treatment of those who have passed away, and the treatment of dad is spot on- a great juxtaposition of parenting stress and constant lecture next to the very true thoughts of constant, undying love. The courage to make his first friend is a perfect ending. Greatly enjoyed sharing this with my boys.
Such charming illustrations!!! The story is very quirky and may not be the right fit for everyone, but I loved it! (Spoilers) the sofa's thoughts add some great humor, the dog's are a nice burst of understanding, there's a sweet treatment of those who have passed away, and the treatment of dad is spot on- a great juxtaposition of parenting stress and constant lecture next to the very true thoughts of constant, undying love. The courage to make his first friend is a perfect ending. Greatly enjoyed sharing this with my boys.
August 28, 2021
Very original
This book would be good for any child especially a lonely child. Especially during a pandemic when kids are isolated from their friends or perhaps an only child. Too bad it's a fantasy, who wouldn't want to know what their dog is thinking or speak to a passed loved one. I think my grandson will enjoy this book!
This book would be good for any child especially a lonely child. Especially during a pandemic when kids are isolated from their friends or perhaps an only child. Too bad it's a fantasy, who wouldn't want to know what their dog is thinking or speak to a passed loved one. I think my grandson will enjoy this book!
October 30, 2021
Wasn't sure what to expect with this one but it was such a delightful surprise - the unique and meticulously designed artwork had me completely riveted and practically jumped off the page, and the story itself was a winning combination of warm-fuzzies and lol's. Simply spectaculous.
February 18, 2025
این کتاب قصهی پسرکیست که تنهاست و تنها با خودش تیله بازی میکنه، چون بچههای دیگه باهاش بازی نمیکنند. یه روز که میره تیلهی جدید بخره، فروشنده بهش یه سری آبنبات تیلهشکل میده که وقتی اونا رو میذاره توی دهنش، تا وقتی آب نشده، صدای افکار چیزهای اطرافش رو میشنوه و زندگیش تغییر میکنه.
ماجرای آشنایی با این کتاب برمیگرده به تبلیغات یوتیوب برای دیدن فیلم کوتاه ساخته شده بر اساس این کتاب که نامزد اسکار ۲۰۲۴ بوده.
تصاویر فیلم و بعدش کتاب چنان دلبرانه بودن که همون لحظه پیدیافش رو خریدم.
شبیهترین اثر بهش «پسرک، موش کور، روباه و اسب» هست.
× چه تصویرگریای اسماعیل.
×× اینطور که آمازون میگه کتاب برای گروه سنی ۸ تا ۱۲ ساله؛ اما تو باور نکن.
××× نوازشگرِ قلب و روحِ آدمیزاد.
ماجرای آشنایی با این کتاب برمیگرده به تبلیغات یوتیوب برای دیدن فیلم کوتاه ساخته شده بر اساس این کتاب که نامزد اسکار ۲۰۲۴ بوده.
تصاویر فیلم و بعدش کتاب چنان دلبرانه بودن که همون لحظه پیدیافش رو خریدم.
شبیهترین اثر بهش «پسرک، موش کور، روباه و اسب» هست.
× چه تصویرگریای اسماعیل.
×× اینطور که آمازون میگه کتاب برای گروه سنی ۸ تا ۱۲ ساله؛ اما تو باور نکن.
××× نوازشگرِ قلب و روحِ آدمیزاد.
May 14, 2025
¡Espectacular!
Una obra d'una sensibilitat superior. Tot i la seva brevetat, aconsegueix emocionar-te.
Li donem 5 caramels màgics!
🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬
Una obra d'una sensibilitat superior. Tot i la seva brevetat, aconsegueix emocionar-te.
Li donem 5 caramels màgics!
🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬
December 4, 2021
A lonely boy buys some candies that turn out to be magical: he can hear the thoughts of things and people around him: the sofa has the remote stuck in its side, his dog is old and tired, and despite of his father constantly nagging him the candy shows that his thoughts are all "I love you". Will he get the courage to speak his own thoughts? Illustrations are photographs of handmade figurines and environments, and the main character is kind of dorky looking- but then most boys are pretty dorky looking.
September 4, 2021
I loved Tong Tong and all the things he learned from his Magic Candies. Funny what happens when one goes shopping for one thing (in Tong Tong's case it was new marbles) and comes out with something completely different (the magic candies). The candies allow him to hear the thoughts of his couch, his dog, his dad, the trees in autumn.
An enjoyable, quick read. I liked the illustrations as well.
An enjoyable, quick read. I liked the illustrations as well.
November 13, 2021
Tong Tong was always alone, until one day he buys some magic candies. Suddenly he hears voices---voices of the sofa, sharing its thoughts and feelings...voices of the dog, expressing his wishes for the first time...voices of Tong Tong's dad, telling Tong Tong his deepest feelings...
A completely new sort of story, with completely new sort of illustrations.
A completely new sort of story, with completely new sort of illustrations.
November 9, 2021
What a strange and glorious book.
April 1, 2022
Picture book, in English translated from original Korean. This book is very interesting-- a little bit of magical realism as a young boy buys a mysterious pack of hard candies. Each of the six candies looks different. When he tries them, he hears voices (of things that seem to resemble the candy he ate)- first of his sofa, then his dog, his father, his late grandmother, the falling leaves, and then nothing from the last one. This story was very relatable-- we too have recenty lost a remote in the couch and I am also a bit guilty of the deluge of verbal diarrhea directed at the other members of the household. Unique photographic illustrations include handmade models and a very expressive main character. I love reading books from other cultures and this one has some great discussion points.
February 7, 2024
För några år sedan läste jag Baek Heenas bilderbok En fe på badhus och gillade mycket. Av en slump trillade jag över hennes bok Magiska godiskulor här om dagen och vilken lycklig slump!
Huvudpersonen leker för sig själv. De andra har inte förstått tjusningen med att spela kula, men nu skulle det behövas lite nya kulor. I affären inhandlas dock godiskulor istället för sådana i glas och att äta dem innebär att väldigt märkliga saker händer.
Underbar, underbar bok! Precis som i En fe på badhus består bilderna av fotograferade lerdockor. Bara det gör boken värd att läsa, bilderna är coola och annorlunda. Men jag tyckte så mycket om plotten i Magiska godiskulor. Kanske alldeles extra passagen om pappa. Det var fint.
Som alltid när jag läser en så där extra bra bilderbok vill jag beklaga alla stackars vuxna som missar toppenbra böcker för att de tror det finns en åldersgräns.
Huvudpersonen leker för sig själv. De andra har inte förstått tjusningen med att spela kula, men nu skulle det behövas lite nya kulor. I affären inhandlas dock godiskulor istället för sådana i glas och att äta dem innebär att väldigt märkliga saker händer.
Underbar, underbar bok! Precis som i En fe på badhus består bilderna av fotograferade lerdockor. Bara det gör boken värd att läsa, bilderna är coola och annorlunda. Men jag tyckte så mycket om plotten i Magiska godiskulor. Kanske alldeles extra passagen om pappa. Det var fint.
Som alltid när jag läser en så där extra bra bilderbok vill jag beklaga alla stackars vuxna som missar toppenbra böcker för att de tror det finns en åldersgräns.
September 10, 2021
[Full disclosure, I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.]
Magic Candies is a delightful book all about opening yourself up to others. I mean, there you have it. It's inventive in that it's through magical candies that the child finally steps out. The artwork is also quite different from most of the artwork I see in books. It looks like it's out of a plasticine stop motion feature. That gives it a more full-bodies but also slightly garish look, making it far more interesting than most other books aside from Jon Klassen's work. It's also a bit sentimental, but I can't exactly hold that against a book for kids.
Magic Candies is a delightful book all about opening yourself up to others. I mean, there you have it. It's inventive in that it's through magical candies that the child finally steps out. The artwork is also quite different from most of the artwork I see in books. It looks like it's out of a plasticine stop motion feature. That gives it a more full-bodies but also slightly garish look, making it far more interesting than most other books aside from Jon Klassen's work. It's also a bit sentimental, but I can't exactly hold that against a book for kids.
May 6, 2025
Me gustó mucho no solo el stop motion, si no que es una historia mágica y construida en tan pocas páginas, que quisieras seguir cada paso para lograr los caramelos mágicos, de manera cultural es interesante y explora elementos como las estrellas y algo que podemos encapsular y que sea muy mágico, así pasen los años es un libro que podrías leer cada noche.
June 23, 2022
What happens when you get a hold of some magic candies? What can you learn by listening?
The illustrations here are interesting. Almost like clay-mation. The story is cute and the illustrations go along with it well.
The illustrations here are interesting. Almost like clay-mation. The story is cute and the illustrations go along with it well.
November 18, 2022
I thought this book was really strange. It doesn't have that warm fuzzy safe feeling you get from picture books (in the United States). Instead, some of it is ugly. I was fascinated by the illustrations and I want to see the process behind them.
October 11, 2022
Very quirky, surprisingly sweet tale of a boy with magic candies that let him read minds. Really phenomenal art. Really glad something this wonky made its way to American publishers.
March 20, 2023
Quina delícia visual de debò. La historieta està bé, sense emocionar. Una mica d'emocions i màgia, que permet al protagonista fer una evolució personal, la mort i aquestes coses, que bien. Però és que el 3d <3 les expressions <4 l'univers visual vamos <555
March 30, 2023
I loved the art in this book and enjoyed the whimsy. However, I don't really think kids will enjoy it.
April 4, 2024
BELLO BELLO BELLO, MA SAI BELLO, ECCO ANCORA PIÙ BELLO
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews