The Magicians

In a quiet, long-abandoned house, something is bubbling up. Suddenly three shapeshifting magicians burst free — an elephant, a blackbird, and a red-haired girl — each setting off on their own journey, pursued by a fierce young Huntress and a mechanical lion-dragon named Clinker. French graphic artist Blexbolex's 182-page tour de force is impossible to categorize: part graphic novel, part picture book, part art object, part waking dream. The silkscreen-style illustrations, the unusually light, silky paper,  the text that runs in blue capitals beneath each image — all of these elements work together to create something different and unusual. The Wall Street Journal called it exceptional. Brian Selznick called it another utterly surprising gift. One School Library Journal blogger called it "not even the same species as traditional children's books." All three are right. A book for anyone who has ever believed in magic — and for anyone who believes in books.