My Mum is a Magician

My Mum is a Magician by Damon Young, illustrated by Peter Carnavas  (University of Queensland Press, 2018) HB RRP $24.95 ISBN 978 0 7022 5994 4

Reviewed by Sylvia Forbes

Some mums gulp green tea, with bitter barley blends.

But my mum is a magician ... her cup of coffee never ends.

This is a spellbinding picture book celebrating Mums everywhere. In My Mum is a Magician, you'll meet all kinds of Mums - each of them as wonderfully diverse as the next!  Pilot mums, superhero mums, chorus line mums and sword swinging mums. But nothing (it seems) tops magician mums!

Damon Young has created a highly entertaining, energetic and frivolous text using rhyme and alliteration. The rhythmic pacing is engaging and makes it a pleasure to read out loud.

Peter Carnavas's excellent illustrations cleverly add another layer of wit and vibrancy to the text. (Like the kid being sprung by magician mum with his hand in the cookie jar ... and the chorus line mum with a prosthetic leg!) While the various animals on every page are adorable, they add tiny narratives.

Some mums light lamps that hang low on weeping willows.

Some mums stick stars that sparkle over soft pillows.

After all the boisterousness and excitement of My Mum is a Magician, I love how the mood shifts and everything quietens down over its four final page turns. Here, the text and illustrations work seamlessly to create a soothing dreamscape where mums and their children are seen tucked closely together and the light becomes softly subdued in gentle sunset tones ... then, as the book comes to a restful close, the magician mum has the final say.

'Every day' mums may not be represented in this book (the lunch makers, the missing sock finders, and the mess cleaners). But when you think about it, alongside all the tireless, often thankless little things they do for us, they are our superheroes who will stop at nothing to nurture, protect and keep us safe. Even swing swords if necessary! They are extraordinary, and they show up for us every single day, regardless of how they might be feeling. So all mums are magicians in my eyes!

This award-winning author/illustrator duo has delightfully created My Mum is a Magician, a timeless celebration of mums and caregivers everywhere. The book is a joy to read and suitable for preschoolers.