The Rabbit’s Magician by Shae Millward and Andy Fackrell

Title: The Rabbit’s Magician

Author: Shae Millward, illustrated by Andy Fackrell

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Ford Street Publishing

Published: 1^st August 2022

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $24.95

Synopsis: Ziggy’s beloved magician has performed an amazing disappearing trick. But just where is The Amazing Albertino?

Ziggy waits.

And waits some more.

Has something gone wrong with the trick?

Key Points:

• A gentle story on a sensitive subject
• Themes of love, loss and comfort
• Inspired by a scientific principle: The Law of Conservation of Energy
• Contains references to and representations of the moon and its phases
• Offers comfort to those who have lost a loved one – person or animal
• Includes Australian animals
• Links to the curriculum [STEM/STEAM, The Arts, Health and Physical Education]

~*~

Ziggy the Rabbit has been staring up at the moon for a while, when his friends Koala, Echidna, Quokka, and Owl ask him if he wants to do something. He keeps telling them he is waiting for his beloved magician, the Amazing Albertino to return, and he is sure Albertino is in the moon, so he keeps watching it. As he waits, he tells Koala, Quokka, Echidna, and Owl about Albertino and what happened when he disappeared. But Ziggy’s friends know the truth and sit down with him and help him realise what has really happened with Albertino’s trick.

The Rabbit’s Magician is a gentle story about loss and love, and about what it means when we can’t understand what has happened when we lose someone – about how we come to terms with it. For Ziggy, he needed the help of his friends, much like many of us will need similar support from those around us, our family, and friends, to accept the loss we have faced. And I think this goes for any loss – a person we have been close with, or a pet, it doesn’t matter. The impact is the same, regardless of our relationship with the person or animal. It speaks to the very heart of grief and loss and how we all respond to it differently. I felt like this was a good book to open up discussions about grief with kids, and show them that it is okay to feel whatever they feel when it comes to grief.

At the same time, the story explores themes within the curriculum around several different subjects – STEM/STEAM, The Arts, Health and Physical Education – and allows students to pick up on them as they read, relating certain instances to some scenes and pages so they can align what they learn in school with what they read in this book. It is the kind of book that is simply told, and beautifully illustrated, yet it has many layers and meanings within the words and pictures. The pictures take us on a journey around the world, where we experience the moon phases and aspects of art and science, magic and invention, and ideas around taking care of yourself physically and emotionally. It shows the power of friendship as well and brings so much to life. I think it is the kind of book that will have different meaning for different ages, because everyone who reads this will see something different in it. For me, it was the power of friendship and the help they give you – how they can help you understand the world.

And all this comes from the beautifully simple and evocative words of Shae Millward accompanied by the delightful, emotional, and moving illustrations by Andy Fackrell, which bring everything to life and they collectively show it is okay to be vulnerable  and need help to understand what is going on around you. I think readers of all ages will appreciate this book and it has a multitude of uses in education, health, and therapy as it can help us gain an understanding of complex concepts in an easy to access manner.