"A Little Like Magic"

Written and Illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel

Image Source: readbrightly.com

        The illustrations in "A Little Like Magic" use a whimsical cool color scheme to help show the cold of the winter as they journey out in the cold. There are touches of warm colors when looking through windows into the warm house, as well as her toy horse to represent the warmth and comfort they bring. The full-page spreads that show the mother and child outside during the day use muted cool colors, while the full-page spreads at night use deeper, richer cool colors. Sarah does a wonderful job using lines to help show movement and the cold wind. The lines also help keep the eye moving throughout the spreads.

        The text in this book is appropriate for the children reading it as it is simple and most of the language is vocabulary they would have heard before. Each page has one to three sentences. Repetition is used when the main character revisits the ice sculpture location. The conversation is credible, as the author based the story off their own experience as a child and they also utilize a power wheelchair.

    This is a great book to read to a child who has lost something that brings them comfort and give them hope that they may find it again. It also is great for able-bodied children to see a character in a wheelchair, as well as children who are in wheelchairs themselves to see a character that looks like them. This book was professionally reviewed by Kirkus Review.

Kurpiel, Sarah. A Little Like Magic. Rocky Pond Books, 2024. 38 pages. Tr. $15.19, ISBN 9780593697658.