The Story of Gumluck the Wizard

Gr 1-3–Helvetica the raven wryly narrates the tale of Gumluck, an earnest little wizard who lives outside the village and grants magical favors to the ungrateful villagers who come knocking, even when it costs him. But Gumluck’s refusal to cast a nefarious spell for the arrogant Prince Whoop-de-doo (who “look[s] like a fancy toilet brush”) earns him the mockery of everyone in the village. Unaware of his new reputation, the eager-to-please Gumluck grants an unwise wish for the king, accidentally putting all the villagers in danger. After Helvetica, a tiny ghost named Butterscotch, and a straight-talking fairy convince Gumluck that he’s been used and mistreated, the wizard has a choice to make: will he save the villagers from their imminent doom? Rex perfectly renders the wide-eyed Gumluck and his companions and naysayers with just a few deft strokes, both in the pencil illustrations and in the beautifully compact, emotionally profound text. Gumluck is wise but guileless, clumsy but powerful, tender-hearted but superbly courageous. Readers will fall in love with him just as cranky Helvetica does.