Can Marvo the Magician's awful assistant be taught new tricks by Hocus Pocus Hound? Doris is the world's worst magician's assistant - she muddles up the magic cards, mislays the magic wand and swiggs three extra-large milkshakes just before she's about to get sawn in half! Her boss Marvo gives her the sack. Because Marvo is mean he decides to employ a stray dog as his new assistant, as he won't have to pay any wages. Despite a slight wind problem, Hocus Pocus Hound turns out to be a great magician's assistant - he juggles, balances boiled eggs on his tail and never wriggles when being sawn in half. Marvo's act takes off, but he gets really greedy. Doris and HPH have one last trick up their sleeves to get their own back...

Grade 1–3—Marvo the magician takes out his frustration with mastering his latest trick on his bungling assistant, Doris, because she fidgets. He decides that the next person he sees will replace her and goes outside into the alley. The only one there is a dirty old dog. Marvo chooses him and leaves the cleaning and primping for Doris to do. Not only is the pooch caked with mud, but he also has bad breath and a gas problem. However, he turns out to be a great assistant. The act is successful, Marvo makes lots of money, and he fires Doris. Hocus-Pocus Hound exacts his revenge by doing a magic trick of his own. This amusing book will delight newly independent readers, who will cheer for Doris and Hocus-Pocus Hound as they put Marvo in his place. The illustrations are a good match for the text, adding lots of color, humor, and detail. More challenging vocabulary (e.g., "audience," "applause," "fidgeting") is repeated several times, providing good opportunities for practice, but the number of words on each page could be daunting for less-experienced readers, and may be most appropriate for fluent third graders.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

length: (cm)21 　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　 width:(cm)14.9