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The book portrays the story of a young boy left in charge of a mischievous and stubborn dog. When the dog runs into a forbidden garden unexpectedly, the boy learns that they have inadvertently entered the property of a retired magician who is not very fond of dogs. Alan, the boy taking care of the dog, being fully aware of how destructive and ill-mannered the dog is, begs the magician to return him so that they may both go home. The magician agrees, but admits to the boy that he |
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truly despises dogs and prefers to turn them into ducks in order to help preserve his garden beautiful. In the garden, they are greeted by a group of ducks. One comes up to Alan, and the magician tells him it is Fritz, the dog. When Alan asks him to change Fritz back, the magician responds, �Impossible...only time can do that.� He explains that the spell may last either years, or just a day. On their way back home, the duck behaves in the same manner as when he was a dog. He snatches Alan�s cap away and flies off despite Alan�s calls. Hopeless and full of guilt, he confesses the entire story to Miss Hester, the owner. Trying to suppress a smile, she tells him Mr. Gasazi has played a trick on him and that Fritz was waiting on the front porch when she returned. At the closing th the story, the reader is left to interpret whether the boy was tricked or not. When Miss Hester waves good-bye to Allan from the front porch, she turns around to see that the dos is carrying Alan�s hat.
The illustrations, created by the author himself, are truly worthy of the Caldecott Honor they received. The pictures, despite the fact that they are all in black and white, are vivid and full of detail. One is reminded of the old and silent black and white movies when skimming through the pages of this book. The drawings, created by conte pencil and dust, give the book a sense of soothing mystery and quietness throughout. The reader is fully absorbed by the story and there seem to be no sounds to be distracted by, even while the boy and dog are running through the garden. Eerily quiet and still are the surroundings, that the reader finds it difficult to put such a book down. The story is fast paced and filled with inciting moments of anguish from the main character, the readers find they must know how the book ends. Teachers will find the ending useful and necessary to discuss with the students. Did the magician turn the dog into a duck, or was it all simple coincidence? This is a wonderful and engrossing book which librarians and teachers must share with readers.
Van Allsburg, Chris. 1979. The garden of Abdul Gasazi. United States: Houghton Mifflin
Company. ISBN 0-395-27804-X. |
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