Magicians
Blexbolex, translated by Karin Snelson
"An exploration of the magic and difficulty of childhood, the wonders of the imagination, and the unique properties of books themselves, The Magicians is another utterly surprising gift from the singular mind of Blexbolex. You’ll want to read it again and again.” —Brian Selznick, author & illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Big Tree
It’s a graphic novel! It’s an art book! It’s an action-packed fantasy adventure from French visionary Blexbolex, for readers young and old.
A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of 2023 • A Kirkus Best Book of 2023 • A Booklist Editors' Choice • Selected for the Wall Street Journal Holiday Books Gift Guide, Publishers Weekly’s Holiday Gift Guide, and A Room of One’s Own's Holiday Catalog • A Moonbow Best Children’s Book of 2023 • A 100 Scope Notes Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Book of 2023 • A Publishers Weekly Big Indie Book of the Fall
In the corner of a quiet, long-abandoned house, something is bubbling up and protesting. Suddenly, out from their hiding spots burst three young shapeshifting magicians—an elephant, a blackbird, and a human girl—each of whom embarks on their own journey. But a fierce young Huntress and a mechanical lion-dragon named Clinker are hot on their trails... and won't rest until every last magician is vanquished.
Fans of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's work or The Wizard of Oz will feel right at home in the pages of The Magicians, with its fabulously eclectic characters and entertaining, suspenseful, dreamlike story inspired by video games, science fiction, fantasy, and fairy tales. Magic is the beating heart of this multi-world universe—the magic of nature, the magic of childhood, the magic of creativity and imagination. Here, Blexbolex celebrates the mysterious, beautiful mess of life.
Every gorgeous page features a silkscreen-style illustration that brilliantly layers three Pantone spot colors, in a festive palette that suggests “vintage circus.” From the heavy cardstock binding with French flaps, to the bronze metallic endpapers, to the book's paper evoking that of classic comic books, Blexbolex carefully selected the materials that would best realize his vision. The result? A visually stunning work of art.
Blexbolex is an award-winning French graphic artist living in Berlin. Enchanted Lion Books has previously published English translations of four of his picture books, including People, Vacation, and two New York Times Best Illustrated selections: Seasons and Ballad.
NOTE: Folding pages are part of the design.
Blexbolex is an award-winning book illustrator. Born in France, he has lived in Germany since 2008, where he teaches and also gives workshops. In 1992, he started work as a printer, allowing him to both create and print his own first books. From 1996 to 2005, he worked at Éditions Cornélius in Paris. Since 2005, he’s worked as an illustrator and author of children’s books, while also creating comics and books for adults. His experimental approach to illustration, industrial printing techniques, and book production makes him a pioneer in his field. Blexbolex has received many prizes and distinctions, including New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated recognitions for Seasons (2010) and Ballad (2014). The Magicians is his fifth book with Enchanted Lion. Karin Snelson is a Seattle-based book editor, reviewer, writer, and translator, specializing in children’s and young adult literature. She has served on a Newbery Medal selection committee, on an ALA Notable Children’s Books committee, and on a 2022 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominating committee through USBBY. She is the co-translator of the French picture book Jerome by Heart, which won a 2019 Batchelder Honor; At the Drop of a Cat; and You Can't Kill Snow White.
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