The Magic Word

By Mac Barnett, Elise Parsley (Illustrator)

A magic word unleashes chaos with wild animals and unexpected surprises.

4.8/7 Bookroo experts·3.6/5 Goodreads · 753 ratings

40 pages· 679 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

Paxton C. Heymeyer discovers the true power of a magic word when his babysitter's simple request spirals into chaos. With a walrus on the loose, an elephant playing cards, and a water park in the yard, the ordinary day turns extraordinary. What other surprises await in this whimsical adventure?

From the publisher

A hilarious take on what a magic word really is from Mac Barnett, the award-winning, bestselling author of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn, and Elise Parsley, the bestselling author/illustrator of If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! and If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don’t! When Paxton C. Heymeyer’s babysitter tells him to say the magic word, she could never have imagined that what would happen next would be a walrus chasing her, an elephant in the living room playing cards, and a full water park and moat in the front yard. And that’s just the beginning…

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Words: 679
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD480L

Themes & topics

Books about magic Books about imagination and play Books about mischief Books about manners and etiquette Books about animals

What readers & critics say

Reviews

4.8

out of 7

5.5

“A hilarious take on the magic word with a few insightful takeaways about not patronizing or being hypocritical when encouraging manners and that relationships matter more than things.”

The Goodfather

Trusted reviewer

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