Reviews also on posted on my blog - Under The Mountain 
 Peter Duchene spends the money given to him by his guardian on a Fortune Teller, which starts of a spiral of events - an elephant appears out of nowhere, dreams become prophetic, a couple gets the family they dreamed of. The Magician's Elephant is a whimsical tale that is almost certain to leave a smile on your face. 
 The city of Baltese really came to life in these pages, particularly with the help of Yoko Tanaka's illustrations. Many citizens get some of their own stories told, like the magician, the magician's victim, even the elephant. The residents are an unusual bunch too, often repeating the same sentences again and again. I did picture Baltese as a Parisian style town throughout the book, despite never having been there. 
 The resonating message throughout this story is hope, all of the characters have wishes of something better, even the animals. Especially the animals! This is a magical tale, with the sort of magic you don't really find in teen books, that I always search for in children's books. Something that made me feel like I was a child again, believing in the impossible. 
 Just as good as The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician's Elephant is a magical tale of the city of Baltese, where anything can happen - elephants can appear, families can be reunited and new friendships made. It cleverly ties many different citizen's stories together throughout without making me confused about who was who. Highly recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different.