Magic Trixie and the Dragon

Magic Trixie and the Dragon

The new Magic Trixie book, Magic Trixie and the Dragon, is simply outstanding, the best yet!

First off, there’s an awful lot going on. I’m okay with having a minimum of plot so long as there are plenty of amazing Jill Thompson pictures to look at, but that’s certainly not the case here. Trixie’s grandmother Mimi takes her to the circus/carnival, where she falls in love with the dragons and wants one. Of course, she can’t have one, even though her sister’s boyfriend works with them as part of the Cryptozoological Institute. Plus, she’s learning to take care of her baby sister Abby Cadabra, while her kittie cat Scratches gets jealous of how much Trixie wants a new pet. All the storylines keep intertwining with each other in unexpected ways.

Magic Trixie and the Dragon

Then there’s the art. Trixie’s magical world allows for all kinds of astounding props and costumes and settings. Whether it’s Mimi’s over-the-top outfits or the circus experience (a series of wordless panels, because the images tell it all) or the Weirdtastic Wagon shop … there are plenty of pages where you’ll want to stop to take it in, or come back and just drink in the detail.

Background reactions often caught my eye, like Trixie’s sister’s spit-take when Trixie accidentally insults grandma. And I got tears in my eyes with Scratches packed a handkerchief with little squeaky toys and headed off, feeling unwanted and unloved.

Like the other books in the series, the tale is ultimately about “be careful what you wish for” — Trixie learns that her parents and grandparents really do know what they’re talking about when they tell her dragons don’t make good pets. It’s the getting there that’s so darn entertaining, as well as beautifully made. Highly recommended for children of all ages!



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