Stead, Philip Christian. Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm, A: A Story Out of Order. Philip Christian Stead, Illus. Holiday House/Neal Porter, 04/2026. 319pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-08-2345809-7. GRADES 3–7. OUTSTANDING.
Like the unusual title itself, this tale is a sprinkling of magical components, curious ponderings, and unabashed delight in the absurd as a young goatkeeper minds twenty-four goats tasked with holding up a castle. When one of the goats goes missing, twelve-year-old Bernadette must bring him back safely. Clever wordplay (with misapplied adages and Latin phrases), enchantingly quirky characters, and resonating line drawings, convey an unmistakable sense of whimsy and wisdom simultaneously. After all, the world is arbitrary with the distribution of wishes and burdens. The peculiar antics and the highly unusual structure (chapters out of order, two endings, and a narrator aware of their role) suits the tale to a T. Whimsical grayscale artwork, fantastical characters, and laughter aplenty create a world of wonder in a beautifully bound stand-out debut novel worth waiting for.
Alexandre Petrakis—San Francisco Public Library