Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Wizzil
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Picture Book
For ages 3 to 5
Farrar, Straus and Giroux , 2000 ISBN: 978-0374384661
Surrounded by normal looking homes in a normal looking neighborhood there is a ramshackle old house with a tower behind it. In the tower there lives a watchful wizard who is wondering what evil thing he will do today. He sees a bullfrog and picking it up he hold it high. Then he transforms the animal into a flea.
The flea hops away but it is not fast enough to get away from the wizard. It is transformed into a pair of mice ""that dive into a bubbling brew."" What is going to happen next? And what will happen if the wizard gets bored with transforming frogs. Will he start looking elsewhere for some amusement? Will he watch the children playing the street below and consider one of them for his experiments?
Fans of wizards and magic will love this cunningly told story. Ear-catching verse and stunning digitally created artwork combine to create a picture book which leaves readers with a spine tingling suggestion.
