Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Synopsis
Julio and his friend, master carver Iluminado, find their ideas in the forest, where dragons, lizards, and angels hide in the wood of every twisted branch.
At home, Julio can't wait to make sculptures for the annual wood-carving contest. But Iluminado, whose eyesight is failing him, is too humble to enter. When Julio opens his heart to help his friend, he learns that winning is not nearly as important as giving.
Both the author and illustrator of Julio's Magic have traveled extensively in Mexico. Now they have translated the deep admiration they feel for the Mexican artisans they've met into a truly magical book which reminds us that inspiration, creativity, and friendship can be found everywhere.
Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz - Children's Literature
Young Julio is eager to go to the mountains with his teacher and master carver, Iluminado, to find just the right piece of wood to carve. He is hoping to win the annual national prize for the best carving. Iluminado has never entered the contest, but this year he really needs the money. Julio finds his wood and carves a jungle which everyone says is his best work yet. Iluminado has carved wonderful musicians, but his failing eyesight makes painting them difficult. Julio helps him and they send the carvings off to the contest. Iluminado is very happy when he wins. Only Julio, and the readers, know that he has not sent his carvings in. They remain under his bed, perhaps until next year. This year he wanted Iluminado to win. Grifalconi creates a form of visual magic through her process of combining modified photographic collage and painting. Although she depicts her characters and settings naturalistically, there is an intriguing interplay between the few unmanipulated color photographs and the impressionistic fields, plants, and buildings involving us in the "different beauties" of her imagination. The few Spanish words are understandable in context, adding flavor to this real picture of the life of wood-carvers in the Oaxaca area today and of a youngster's heart-warming sacrifice. 2005, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 4 to 9.