Hocus Pocus

Just as Jerry had to constantly outwit Tom in those old MGM cartoons, so does Hocus Pocus, a magician's rabbit, use all his smarts to keep two steps ahead of Dog in this mostly wordless picture book. The exceptions--Crash, Swat, Flump, Crunch, Splash, Grrr, Splat--give you an idea of how action packed the story is, as Hocus Pocus tries to snag a carrot from the snoozing magician's grocery bag while Dog does everything in his powers to prevent the theft. The upshot in these classic David-and-Goliath battles always comes out in favor of the little guy. Hocus Pocus does not break new ground, but the two animals' antics as they try to best each other will keep beginning readers amused. The cheerful digital illustrations are easy to "read" and with their many panels the book will give little ones the sense of perusing a much older graphic novel.

Hocus Pocus
by Sylvie Desrosiers
illustrations by Remy Simard
Kids Can Press, 48 pages
Published: 2011