Churro and the Magician

Magic catapults a bunny’s school day into something spectacular in this adventuresome early reader graphic novel. En route to the bus, paper-white rabbit Churro, clad in a jaunty blue-striped shirt, is waylaid when posters showcasing a magic show cause starry-eyed distraction. Unable to catch up to the bus, Churro attends the show, which is full of wonders, including the unlikely transformation of a rotund watermelon into a plump pink pig. Afterward, Churro inadvertently acquires the magician’s wand, and subsequently wanders the city casually wreaking havoc—at the flick of Churro’s wrist, a cab parked next to a street lamp changes into a dinosaur (“CRUNCH! NOM!” reads the book’s limited text as the dino tucks into a meal of tree leaves). Before long, Churro is sailing in a cloud, opening the drawers of a high-rise turned filing cabinet, and worriedly surveying the chaos below. Luckily, the magician learns of Churro’s hijinks just in time to help make things right. Employing clean lines and flat, cool colors, newcomer Caba’s briskly paced, imagination-fueled digital panels tell a story that’s equal parts comical, magical, and welcoming to new readers. Ages 4–7. (Dec.)