A Tricky Kind of Magic

Gr 4-6–Cooper is a talented young magician, ready to show off card tricks and other simple illusions at a moment’s notice. Cooper learned his skills from his dad, the Great Eduardo, who suddenly died a few weeks before the story begins. Struggling with grief, Cooper pushes away his friends, teachers, and mom. When ­Cooper is ­feeling particularly low, his stuffed magician’s rabbit named Rabbit De Niro, which was a present from his dad, comes alive. After a particularly angry moment with his mom, Cooper gathers up Robert De Niro and embarks on an adventure to try to track down his dead dad. After all, just because someone has vanished, doesn’t mean they’re gone. The quest takes them through an enchanted portal to a land filled with magic gone wrong where they encounter an aspiring magician’s assistant; a not-so-great President of Magic; and some emotional realizations about life, love, and grief. Simple grayscale illustrations keep readers focused on the characters and plot instead of flashy colors, which might have felt at home in an adventure story about magic, but wouldn’t quite work in one so steeped in a child’s mourning. Cooper’s grief is more present and intense than expected for a book that, from the cover, sells itself as another magic-filled adventure story. ­