the magicians elephant

The title is offered in two print formats: hardcover and paperback.

Editions list suggested age ranges of 8–12 years and 9–12 years across the available versions.

Page counts vary by edition, ranging from 201 pages for one edition up to 224 pages for the paperback editions.

Across editions, height ranges about 7.56 to 7.76 inches, width about 5.10 to 5.58 inches, depth about 0.70 to 0.79 inches, and weight ranges from roughly 0.35 to 0.68 pounds.

The book is classified as juvenile fiction with subgenres including family/siblings, animal (elephant), and fantasy/magic. The text and synopsis emphasize themes of hope, belonging, desire, and compassion.

The book is written by Kate DiCamillo and includes illustrations credited to Yoko Tanaka.

The synopsis describes ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene searching for his sister after a fortune-teller tells him she is alive. The teller’s answer—that an elephant will lead him to her—sets off a chain of remarkable events.

Reviewers characterize the book as fable-like and evocative, with lyrical, spare prose well suited to being read aloud and creating a dreamlike, haunting atmosphere.

Illustrations are by Yoko Tanaka and are described in listings as atmospheric—with mentions of acrylic artwork in some places and gorgeously muted pencil illustrations in others.