Title: The Magic Words
Author: Ana Koza
Publisher: OutSkirts Press
ISBN: 978-1478703846
Pages: 20, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Children’s Books
Reviewed by: Gary Sorkin, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
The magic words are not “Abbracadabra” nor “Hocus pocus,” but little Tommy needed to think hard to figure out what his Mother insisted he say, in Ana Koza’s illustrated children’s book The Magic Words. Tommy would ask for something without saying “Please” and “Thank you.” This is the lesson of being polite Tommy needed to learn, and in which all kids need to be told in order to get ahead in our social world.With illustrations by Gisela Margarita so artfully done, The Magic Words progresses like a continuous dreamy book, animating itself in the mind of the reader. There is a background texture to each drawing, along with the placement of words and phrases varied throughout the book. The use of stars placed on each page provides a subtle dream-like flow from illustration to illustration, along with the changing typestyle accenting the words and carrying the storyline into a continuous cascade of words and pictures. On a level of using graphic illustrations to convey messaging, Koza and Margarito have created truly a masterpiece of imagery ideally suited for their young audience’s mental imprinting.
Tommy is a funny kid indeed. He is sharp, witty and a normal child, but without using the magic words his Mother is reluctant to give him what he asks for. He honestly can’t figure out why his Mom doesn’t “Snap to it” when he wants to go to the park, or even eat some food. Then he remembered that one day, his Mom sat him down and explained to him that people need to hear “Please” and “Thank you” so they feel good doing things for him. It all connected. From then on Tommy was polite and got his way with all he asked, when using the magic words.
Author Ana Koza boils down her story to the basic principles of politeness, and makes it a discovery for her character Tommy to figure it out on his own. By using this storytelling technique, each child reading or being read this book will imprint the rule of social etiquette; in a way to learn it for themselves. In order to get ahead in our society you need to use these simple magic words.
So with this in mind I should say, “Please pick up this book as a gift or an addition for any home library,” and “Thank you for reading this review.”
