The Garden of Abdul Gasazi: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner Hardcover – Picture Book, February 25, 2025

I haven't read this story, but this is one of my favorite authors for children's books and purchased as a gift for a 5 yr old girl. Hopefully will be enjoyed many times sitting with a parent or grandparent, listening to the story, the beautiful pictures and the surprise ending.

I am a Chris Van Allsburg fan, have been since my now in their 20's kids were infants. The Garden of Abdul Gasazi might be my favorite. The pencil drawings are magnificent, so richly textured, subtle and powerful. The tale itself mesmerized my children; you always step into a realistic-sounding fantasy before you know you've crossed that threshold. A joy for the adult reading to the child, as well as for the child who enters this world. Following the dog...'nuf sed. If you appreciate great art in children's books, combined with masterful storytelling, check out Van Allsburg's work. This black and white venture rates 5 stars.

So, I got this book today. But when I opened it up it was upside down and backwards. No big deal the dust cover was just put on wrong. So, I take off the dust cover and put it on to match the hard cover. But the problem persisted. It wasn’t the dust cover that was put in wrong it was the insides! The dust cover matched the hard cover!Still not a big deal, but some people might be unhappy.

This book is so wonderful. It has amazing black and white illustrations that make you feel like you're in the story. And the story itself piques your imagination and leaves you wondering in the best way. The cleverness may have been lost on my four year old but he still loved it.

Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated many of my favorite picture books as a child, so when I had my own baby I ordered a few of my favorites. His illustrations are hypnotic and mysterious and that's what drew them to me as a kid who loved mysteries and "scary" stories. This story tells a great tale of a magician who turns a boy's dog into a bird (or does he?). This book still seems like a timeless classic so I would highly recommend it for any young child's (or whimsical adult's) library.

Absolutely charming story. The illustrations are magical in and of themselves. This story is ostensibly about a boy who is charged with taking care of a neighbor's dog. However, the story takes some clever turns and winds up showing us that perhaps, just perhaps, magic does indeed exist. Wonderful to spark the imagination of young children. Written simply but with direct and impactful language. A recommendation for anyone's library; child or adult.

I purchased this book for my class of 5th/sixth graders. They loved the ending and have started using the Gazazi name.

This was the first Chris Van Allsburg book we discovered, so many years ago that our kids now have nearly-grown children of their own. We love to share it with our friends. Van Allsburg's black and white illustrations are richly drawn and this story, like so many of his others, is macabre without being too frightening for young children. It involves a little boy, a dog and a magician, who may (or may not) have the ability to do transformative tricks. Once we read this one we were hooked. We've sought out Van Allsburg books ever since and we've never been disappointed. He's willing to take risks with his illustrations. His pencil work is terrific, but that doesn't stop him from trying pen-and-ink in "Two Bad Ants," or what's probably gouache in "Polar Express." Enjoy, savor and hope for more books to come.