Make Magic! Do Good!

by Dallas Clayton

From self-publishing wunderkind Dallas Clayton comes a book of illustrated poems full of wisdom,
wonder, and whimsy.

A boy with a beard tries to stay six forever. A frightful monster lives a million miles away, but is equally scared of you. A magic rope hangs from the sky, next to a sign saying "Give me a try." In this brightly illustrated selection of playful, often provocative poems, ideas run the gamut from stopping your lightning-fast running to help others keep up, imagining a store that sells colors never before made, or admitting you’ll never know all the answers (and sleeping better at night). Following the runaway success of his self-published debut, Dallas Clayton’s quirky, captivating collection makes it clear that this rising talent, whose work has evoked comparisons to Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, and Shel Silverstein, exudes a spirit and style all his own.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Picture Books, Juvenile

112 pages, Hardcover

First published November 13, 2012

About the author

Dallas Clayton is an author, illustrator, public speaker, mural painter, and adventure seeker.

When he is not busy writing books (for children of all ages), touring the world, painting on buildings, or climbing trees, he is generally trying find happiness and share it with others.

Reviews

[Cheryl Dickemper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this motivational book of poetry for kids! The poems are clever and funny, asking readers to look at life a little differently and approach experiences with a positive outlook. This will be good addition to character education programs, and the light humor makes this fun to read. Several of the short poems would make great inspiration posters for classroom walls...

[~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIRE

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A six-year-old with a beard and no worries. . .

A narrator who contemplates the repercussions of eating a blue apple. . .

And wonderful verse to make us all think of how we choose to treat our day:

The effort is the same,
you know,
thinking good
as thinking bad,
saying nice
instead of mean,
making happy,
making sad. . .

From the author/illustrator of AN AWESOME BOOK comes this November 2012 release from Candlewick. I got to see the ARC on NetGalley, but I cannot wait to see this in full-color when it releases this fall.


Opportunities to make new friends are as close as the word, "Hello" in Clayton's pieces which many are already comparing to Seuss, Silverstein, and Sendek.

Stores that sell colors found in Clayton's collection are sure to invite conversations in the classroom about looking for the positive.

Xavier Xing Xu is a delightful look at one of my frustrations while collecting alphabet books. . .the treatment of X. It is here that Clayton seems to earn his Silverstein comparisons.

"Try" is sure to be a favorite among teachers and coaches. And it is in a piece like this that Clayton seems to earn his Seuss-ian comparisons:

Today you should ride in a helicopter
today you should tame a whale
today you should race
to outer space
at at least
you should try
and fail.

So many pieces in Clayton's upcoming collection are just ripe for posting in the classroom. "Give Me a Try" finds an elephant who happens upon a rope hanging from the sky. He wonders what will happen if he pulls it and he wonders what will happen if he should just walk on by.

"Make Magic! Do Good!" is the final piece in the collection and it is the just right piece to anchor this collection.

It is my hope that people will pick up upon this collection as much as they have celebrated AN AWESOME BOOK. I think Dallas Clayton is a name to watch in the near future. This guy is going places and inviting readers to come along.

[Doug Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dallas Clayton launched his writing/illustrating career with An Awesome Book! Now he is back with a bigger and more awesome book: Make Magic! Do Good! His new book is a collection of poems and illustrations.

An Awesome Book was a single poem joyfully illustrated by Clayton. Make Magic! Do Good! is full of dozens of his children’s poems with a single illustration. This turns out to be a great way for my kids to pick which poems they want to hear. As a I flip through the book they get drawn to the illustrations that most captures their mood.

My kids favorites: “Real Live Dragon”, “Robots”, and “The Unicorn Glade.” My favorite was “Xavier Xing Xu.” [He] was terribly blue/ that the number of/ x-fronted words was so few.

More at http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/11/...

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the book from the publisher.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with 49 poems and illustrations that are "two part positive vives and three parts watercolor rainbow sprinkles," this book can't help but make young readers smile as they ponder the possibilities of positive attitudes and trying something new. Many of the verses remind readers that how you approach a task can make all the difference in the world. My favorite poem is "Box Cat" in which someone addresses a cat in a box and makes fun of it for hiding in the box. The cat reminds the person that he is sillier than the cat since after all, "you sit inside/ and watch me lay" (p. 89). This is a thoroughly enjoyable title--plus, reading it will bring a smile to the lips of just about anyone.

[Kate Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have three children under the age of 5, so when I won this book in a contest I was so excited. Even more so after reading the reviews.

We have had the book for about a week now and it is by far my kids' favorite. My favorite is "The Artist".

I would definitely recommend this book to parents of children of any age, really, and for adults as well. It is a fun book with good lessons. Perfect for bedtime reading!

Thanks for a wonderful book. Please keep 'em coming!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the fact that some of this was lost with a colorless A.R.C. but the poems for the most part, are so so. There are a few exceptions but if you are going to do poetry for kids and you are not Silverstein or a Prelusky, then you really need to step up your game. I think that there may be a reason that the author is often self published.....

[Caitlin Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would be lying if I said this book didn't make me tear up. As I'm sitting here outlining a presentation about advocacy and children's programming that basically boils down to 'children deserve better' I'm very much hit by the exuberance and honesty in this. I would also be lying if I said I didn't plan to email Dallas Clayton just to tell him so.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet book with short rhymes to get across the morals of the stories.

[Vani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars

[Hunter Higashionna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a poetry book, with many formats from rhyming or alliterations or a simple phrase there is so much fun to be had! Each page has a new poem and topic, so read aloud or read to yourself, it is still fun.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have truly enjoyed Dallas Clayton's picture books about Love and there is a truly inspirational poetry book too in Make Magic! Do Good!. The illustrations are uniquely Dallas Clayton, but the absolute treasure in his books is the message. Positive inspiration for children everywhere. The poems are silly and fun, full of rhyme just the way I enjoy and provide plenty of smiles.

This is the same size as the new Greenwillow Jack Prelutsky re-releases and looks beautiful on the shelf next to them.

Thanks to Candlewick Press.

[Laura DeLuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make Magic! Do Good! is an adorable book filled with fun poems and artwork. Each page is a new story. There are poems about a boy with a beard, caterpillars getting ready to become butterflies, and a shark with no teeth to name just a few. There are ninety five pages of poems and each one has its own unique illustration to go along with it. Each poem is its own stand alone tale, so you can read them one at a time or back to back. You could even open to one random page for a quick, funny poem. This book reminds me a lot of a poem book that was really popular back in the 80s called Where the Sidewalk Ends. If you enjoyed reading that book when you were a kid, you will have fun reading Make Magic! Do Good! with your children. All of my kids ,who range in age from one twelve, enjoyed reading the poems. This book a great selection for kids of all ages.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Dallas Clayton's An Awesome Book, I knew that I wanted to read more of his work. He had a way of preaching goodness in a way that wasn't overly bearing but still definitely got the point across. So, when I saw that Candlewick had published an anthology of his poems with his illustrations I was very excited and I was not disappointed. Make Magic is filled with fun yet thought provoking poems (some rhyme, some free verse) accompanied by quirky (done in "two parts positive vibes and three parts watercolor rainbow sprinkles) this anthology will bring a smile to anyone's face who readers it. As a read aloud this summer, during summer school, I am going to bring Make Magic and read one or two daily so we can discuss them. Each poem teaches a lesson without being always obvious and are funny and weird enough that students will love them.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free as a Goodreads First Read. There are a few really good poems in this book, things that are light and silly and I would love for kids to read. Most of them tend to be the shorter poems in this collection, perhaps because they don't have the chance to get complicated or develop an agenda. I understand that the point of some of these poems is to present a lesson for children, but in some cases ("The Boy With the Beard", "The Monster", "Mr. Pennymaker") I feel that the writing was very heavy-handed and could potentially be upsetting to smaller kids. These aren't necessarily the cleverest poems I've read in a collection for children, but they will probably be satisfactory for those in the 7-10 age range who have a sense of whimsy.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make Magic! Do Good! by Dallas Clayton is the best book of poetry for children that I have seen since I was a young girl. I love not only the positive messages from the poems inside. But the imaginative artwork that passes the message on visually is so vivid. The dust jacket is also a poster on the inside. I want to hang it up myself on the wall. I wish I had words to explain the joy this book brings about. One evening I sat and read it aloud to Dear Hubby. It brought so many laughs, ooohhhhs and aaahhhhhhs from both of us.

[Breanne Kanegawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the drawings in this book. They are so vibrant. The drawing style is different from a lot of illustrators. He is making the art look textured. I also love the message behind this book.It is telling kids to do their best and be who they want to be. Everything they do should be for themselves and what they think is right.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make Magic! Do Good! by Dallas Clayton – Poetry – happy day to read a poetry book… enjoyed this book from front to back and back again.
My favorite poem in the book is:
You won’t know all the answers
you won’t get everything right
but once you learn you don’t have to know ’em
you’ll sleep the best at night.

[Shanetia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. There are so many delightful poems, many of which I want to post in my classroom and share with friends. This book will certainly make you smile in a warm and fuzzy kind of way.

[Yoo Kyung Sung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved a collection of different poems..

My favorite is

You won't know all the answers
you won't get everything right
but once you learn you don't have to know'em
you'll sleep the best at night p. 21

somewhat comforting me whispering " it is okay not to do well"..

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of rhyming poems, all laced with fun and upbeat messages, but some more polished than others. Kids will enjoy the bright illustrations and the rhythmic pace. Messages are quite overt, but constructive. Sometimes kids like straightforward content.

[Ashley Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contains cute poems that will interest children. The poems also talk about deeper subjects (e.g. love, deforestation, friendship, knowledge). The illustrations fit with every poem in the book.

setting- various

grade- 1st through 3rd

use- I would use this to expose my students to poetry

[Jennifer Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uplifting book of pems for children. My daughter loved it.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book of poetry for kids. Motivational and funny, reminiscent of Shel Silverstein. The illustrations are just as magical as the poems, and add a dream-like quality to every page.

[Read for your future! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Lora's Review Here:
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inconsistent, but joyful, poetry collection that will inspire kids to accept themselves and use their talents to help the world.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it! Think kids would like many of the poems. Some I wasn't quite so sure about... Most have a pretty positive message to share!

[Joellen Mccarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving all of Clayton's work. The love affair started with A is for Awesome and am finding all of his work to be "must haves". An amazing mentor author for simple yet powerful picture books.

[Maggi Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations reminded me of James Marshall; poetry reminded me of Jack Prelutsky. Two good artists to emulate.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this.