The Missing Ace: The Mysterious World of Cosentino Book One (Cosentino & Jack Heath, illus by James Hart, Scholastic)

Cosentino the Grand Illusionist runs the beloved Copperpot Theatre in Coppertown, a place in Magicland where the evil King has banned magic. Cos is working on his latest trick—escaping from a pit of deadly snakes while in a sack padlocked in chains—when Ace, an escaped soldier from the King’s army, runs in begging for help. He is being hunted down by Hollow, one of the King’s henchmen. Cos does his best to help Ace with the assistance of his friends, but in doing so he makes an enemy of Hollow and of the evil King. The first book in ‘The Mysterious World of Cosentino’ series is very promising. James Hart’s illustrations do a marvellous job at bringing Cos’s friends (who consist of an anthropomorphic padlock, among others!) to life, and kids will love reading about Cos’ amazing magic tricks and the secrets behind them. Plus, at the end, Cos teaches
you how to do one of the tricks in the book, making it a perfect book for budding magicians and beginner readers aged seven and older.

Dani Solomon is a bookseller at Readings Carlton

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