Anything but Ordinary Addie: the True Story of Adelaide Herrmann Queen of Magic

Anything but Ordinary Addie: the True Story of Adelaide Herrmann Queen of Magic

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy Library, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 16, 2016

Review

Bruno's art work is the first thing you notice about this biographical picture book. The pictures are full-paged, rich, and vibrant, and these, along with a beautiful cover could draw a reader in to the book. However, the text is spare and a little thin, not providing any real details or facts about Herrmann. According to the author's note (which is should be noted might be nice to read FIRST), this book is a picture book version of the full biography Adelaide Herrmann: Queen of Magic, published in 2012 and, while the first female magician, now largely forgotten, is a worthwhile subject, the book needs some background and teaching to provide fullness and understanding to the story.

Overall Book Score: fair


About the Book

Author:

Rockliff, Mara

Illustrator: Bruno, Iacopo

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: historical fiction,biography / autobiography

Audience: grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763668419

Price: 17.99