HERCULES QUICK'S BIG BAG OF TRICKS BY URSULA DUBOSARSKY AND ILLUSTRATED BY ANDREW JOYNER
Hercules Quick’s Big Bag of Tricks by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Andrew Joyner and published by Allen & Unwin.
Hercules Quick’s Big Bag of Tricks is a lively Junior Fiction book about helping others, friendship and finding wonder in everyday things. And of course, magic. Hercules really wants to buy a box of magic tricks so he advertises his services for 10 cents a job. The apartment building where he lives with his Aunt Alligator is full of quirky characters, all of them needing his assistance. Will he be able to save up enough money to buy his magic box before he is totally exhausted by all his money-earning jobs?
Ursula Dubosarsky has given younger reads a fun filled book with delightful characters and which promotes the ideas of acceptance, friendship and helping others. I especially liked the three magic tricks we got to learn at the end of each “Act”. The formatting of Hercules Quick’s Big Bag of Tricks is beautifully laid out with a combination of wonderful illustrations by Andrew Joyner and the breaking up of blocks of text into chapters and Acts. Joyner’s depiction of the hilarious rough-and-tumble Elk family, the indecisive Professor Calamari, confused turtle brothers, Mike and Herbert and the illusive Queen Claude lend a delightful energy to the narrative.
This is a book for readers who are beginning their reading journey as well as a great nightly a story-time read with parents.
For Ages: 6 - 9 years
Number of Pages: 224
Published: May 2023
Themes: helping others, acceptance finding wonder in the everyday.