THE SECRET WORLD OF MAGIC

Kerven plays to believers in this distillation of magical lore from cultures worldwide. Urging young readers to disregard the skepticism of grown-ups, she surveys various sorts of magic workers, magical creatures, charms, kinds of spells and magical realms. She also sketchily retells seven vaguely sourced tales of spells and transformations and offers helpful advice on such topics as making wishes or breaking spells laid on others: “Kiss the animal or thing that your friend has turned into.” Anderson goes for humor and mystery in his small, elaborately modeled illustrations, throwing a lurid yellow-greenish light over portraits of witches and wizards with pointy hats, stunned-looking victims, rainbows ending in pots of gold and a black cat posing in various settings. Eurocentric slant aside (in her cameo, the Native-American Spider Woman has blond hair and European features), this joins the likes of Monika Beisner’s Secret Spells and Curious Charms (1985) as prime browsing material for young dreamers. (bibliography) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)