Trotter and the Twins: The Magic of Imagination, by Tomás Pérez-Zafón

 

"Do you believe in magic?"

I bet you did as a child although, as the wise grandparents of this tale note, the belief is strongest in children and the old. Imagination is what fuels it....and the magical wooden horse within... based on our dreams and willingness to open ourselves to possibilities. That profound observation aside, this book is a delight. 

From the opening page, which features a quote by Albert Einstein, to the illustrations that call up that sense of magic and wonder that most adults suppress, the story of the wonderfully imaginative twins Adrian and Alba, it was a pleasure to lose myself in. The illustrations are wonderful, calling up that sense of wonder children have, using color and light effectively to bring the almost realistic but, yes, still dreamy scenes to life. I have to admit to browsing through the book just looking at them even before reading, not to mention stopping to appreciate how well they work with the overall feel both while reading and after. Yes, they work beautifully. There's a great guide at the end to help lead discussion of the book, which many will find helpful. I know I did as it prodded my thinking a bit more.

Toss in the two curious twins, who are spending the summer with their grandparents in the oldest village in the smallest country in the world (I won't share but think I know the place after some time searching and eliminating one small country based on the setting in the illustrations), and receive a wooden rocking horse their grandfather has built. It's totally irrelevant but I should probably note that the humans are obviously of mixed race. What matters is that they love each other and understand that there is magic in the world. Speaking of, do you remember how magical we found fireflies as children? They make an appearance, I'll just note. I'm not going to detail the story of how the magic happens, that isn't the point, and besides, I don't want to ruin the moment for you. Dare to dream. 

Thank you so very much #NetGalley and #WebLocomotionLLC for allowing me to spend time dreaming of what it would be like to float through the air having any adventure I can imagine on a magical horse. I'm a "fan".