Today I’m delighted to hop onboard the blog tour for Midnight Magic by Michelle Harrison and Elissa Elwick.
Black cats born at midnight
Are different indeed,
A mischievous, odd
And peculiar breed.
For in every whicker
And each tuft of fur,
In every pounce
And every purr…
There’s magic (yes, MAGIC!)
And strong stuff at that!
And Midnight was one
Of those rare types of cat.
Synopsis
In the middle of winter, three kittens are born in a barn. Two ordinary, but the third, jet black and born on the stroke of midnight, is brimming with magic from whiskers to tail – even sparking life into a dusty old broomstick! While her siblings pounce at rats, Midnigt perfects her flying skills on the broom, not noticing how her mother disapproves of her magical ways…
When Midnight finds herself abandoned, she sets out with only her loyal broom Twiggy at her side. The pair soon find themselves taken in by kind-hearted Trixie, but how will Trixie’s family react to Midnight’s extraordinary powers andtaste for mischief?
Hubble bubble,
this cat’s trouble…
My thoughts
This is simply the most gorgeous tale that combines the writing talents of one of my favourite children’s authors, Michelle Harrison, and the awesomely brilliant illustrator, Elissa Elwick.
Told in rhyme alongside bright, fun illustrations, this will be the perfect bridge between picture and chapter books for early readers. It’s an absolute delight to read aloud and there is so much to look at and discuss with your little ones.
Midnight is a mischievous kitten with a magic spark that can often land him in trouble. His mothers and sisters find it hard to accept this little kitten who is so different from them, so Midnight has to use all of his courage to find his own way in the world. When he finally meets Trixie, he finds a friend who loves him just the way he is and helps him see that being special and ‘strange’ is actually rather wonderful.
I love the positive message that this story conveys, not only in accepting and loving our own individual, unique abilities and characteristics, but also that families all look very different and that having a loving supportive one is the most important thing of all.
An absolutely delightful book that is sure to engage and delight young story lovers. Thank you to the lovely team at Little Tiger Press for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and for sending me a review copy. It was an absolute pleasure and I hope there will be more adventures with Midnight, Twiggy and Trixie.
About the author
Michelle Harrison was born in Essex. She is the author of novels for children and young adults, most ercently the best-selling A Pinch of Magic and its sequel, A Sprinkle of Sorcery. Her debut, Thirteen Treasures, won the 2009 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. She writes full-time and lives with her son and cats.
You can follow Michelle on Twitters at @MHarrison13
About the Illustrator
Elissa Elwick is the illustrator of the Fetch and Stick series. She writes as well as illustrates and is the author/illustrator of The Princess and The Sleep Stealer. She conjures up ideas from her colourful desk at the Fleece Station, London.
Find out more about Elissa at her website www.elissaelwick.co.uk
You can follow Ellissa on Twitter at @ElissaElwick
Categories: 5+, 7+, Blog Tour, Chapter Books, Children's Fiction, KS1, Magic, Review
Tales Before Bedtime 
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