Title page has spectacled bearded explorer in Inuit furs, petting cat in basket, and looking sideways at similar plump bearded pirate holding telescope and sword. Not syrupy sweet, tempers do flare, accidents happen.ĭrawings spike curiosity. Imitating mermaid (hands crossed demurely over front p 15), Jane was 'combing her longish ungolden hair' p 30 is dark at 16. I could wish for color, but not too much in text to go by. Magic has rules, limits, misunderstandings. welcome to the world!Įxciting 'gave chase' p 63. What would be the point? Why, we didn't learn a moral lesson, or anything!'well isn't that just the truth, kids. Loved one of the last lines, it really spoke to me: 'You mean it's really over?' said Katherine. surreal and surprising and kinda awesome. they spend the last adventure trying to figure out how to help their stepdad's ailing business, and that's just adorable.įavorite part was when they stumble across another group of kids on their own magical adventure with their own magical rules that must be followed.

well, all four of them are actually pretty peachy. the bloodthirsty youngest girl was my predictable favorite of the four, but I also wouldn't mind having fearless and slightly condescending oldest-sister Jane as a child either. they get various wishes and go on various adventures including seeing pirates, cannibals, Antarctica, and what it's like to be a few years older and going on a date with a couple pretentious twits. 4 siblings spend a summer at a lake, A MAGIC LAKE, the magic courtesy of a grouchy magic turtle. Written in 1957 but set several decades earlier, this fun little trifle is Eager all over. you root your adventures in prosaic reality but you manage to make prosaic reality not bad, not bad at all, its own sort of adventure. you get kids and you don't bring a lot of sentimentality to the table either you capture the cheerfulness & the mood swings & the sweetness & a little bit of the sour as well. a family man but not one of those mawkish mewling types who always seem to be about to burst into tears when they talk about their fam. Oh, Edward Eager, you really seem like a swell guy.

Tales of magic edward eager