Hocus Pocus Takes the Train

PreS-Gr 2—This wordless picture book tells a fully developed story about a magician's rabbit named Hocus Pocus and his mission to return a stuffed bunny to its young owner. The cheerful, digitally rendered illustrations are comical and sure to attract both young children as well as older ones who will be eager to narrate the adventure in their own words. Hocus Pocus is separated from the magician, who boards a soon-to-depart train. Left behind with the toy, the ever-resourceful rabbit makes a surfboard out of a plank and navigates a waterway to catch up to the train and climb on board. Children will giggle at the magician, who is clueless as to the whereabouts of his rabbit, and they will cheer for the brave critter as he repeatedly outsmarts the magician's dastardly dog. Hocus Pocus and the canine portray the archetypical hero and villain in this endearing, fast-paced tale. This is an excellent purchase for libraries wanting to acquire more graphic-novel-style books for younger readers. Fans of Hocus Pocus (Kids Can, 2011) will love it.—Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT