Magic Box

Magic Box by Katie Cleminson
2009

Eva received a special box for her birthday. She jumped inside and when she came out she had become a master magician. Her first trick was to wish for a pet named Monty. Monty turns out to be a rather large polar bear. Next she pulls rabbits out of hats, makes things float, and throws herself a huge party with delicious food and an animal band. There's tons of dancing and, "when everyone had danced their socks off, Eva shut her eyes, clicked her fingers...and everything vanished..." Not quite.
Magic Box's illustrations are the stars of this picture book. They have a classic feeling to them with thick black outlines and coal shadows over clean white backgrounds that contrast with splashes of paint in bright colors. It's a book full of joy with an enchanting character. The picture of Eva clicking her fingers in her final act of magic is just gorgeous, and the page with Monty the polar bear dancing with Eva just makes me smile. Sweet.