The Magician's Elephant

Story

Peter gives his only coin to a fortune teller who grants him one question. She tells him that his sister is alive and to find her he must follow the elephant but he can’t see how it is possible. There are no elephants in his city. That night in the theatre a magician’s trick goes horribly wrong and instead of a bunch of flowers an elephant comes crashing through the ceiling and suddenly the impossible becomes possible and his extraordinary story begins.

Why we chose it

A timeless story, full of magic, about hope, belonging and compassion.

Where it came from

DiCamillo wanted to write a story about magic, in particular about a magician who wanted to perform real magic. She was thinking about the magician when she caught a glimpse of a picture of an elephant on the front of a notebook and the elephant became part of the story.

Where it went next

The RSC’s winter 2020 season will include The Magician’s Elephant, a new musical adapted by Nancy Harris and Marc Teitler.

Associated stories

Kate DiCamillo won the Newberry Medal in 2003 for The Tale of Despereaux and again in 2014 for Flora and Ulysses: the Illuminated Adventures. Her other books include, Becoming Winn Dixie, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tiger Rising, Good Rosie and the trilogy Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana’s Way Home, Beverley Right Here, linked stories about three friends (the Three Rancheros). She has also written a series of books for younger readers about Mercy Watson the pig.