RUPERT’S TALES – LEARNING MAGICK - Review

Rupert’s Tales – Learning Magick, Kyrja, Illustrated by Tonia Bennington Osborn, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd, Atglen, PA, 2016, 50pp, $16.99.

We’ve met Rupert before when he learned about the Wheel of the Year. Our little furry bunny friend is back to learn about the tools used in magick, and that intention and imagination are two very important ingredients.

      Learning Magick is written in rhyme and geared for readers age 5 to 8, although older children (as well as adults) may learn a lot as well.

      This time Rupert watches a family gather to teach the children about the tools used in crafting magick. The children ask questions and express doubt, which helps Rupert overcome his own trepidation about magick. Some answers are given by the adults, and others by the older children, showing how much they have learned as they help their younger siblings understand.

      In addition to the physical tools, such as the athame, cauldron and Book of Shadows, Learning Magick teaches how to create a sacred space and how to use your Magickal Imagination. Rupert is uneasy, and a bit afraid, that he doesn’t quite understand some of the lessons:

         Rupert didn’t like what he heard, not even a bit,

         They were making a Circle with him inside of it!

      Kyrja addressed that uneasiness by having one child explain it quite well:

         “Think about it for a moment, and take the time to think it through,

         If you’re scared and think of some place safe, you make safety come          to you.”

      The lessons seem so easy, but as an adult, I can see how deep they really are. As we read, I’m teaching my children about tolerance for others’ beliefs:

“Magick, intentions and imagination are ours to use each day.

       It is up to each of us, I think, to choose which will be our own way.”

      Kyrja also teaches that it’s okay to ask others if you don’t understand, something I encourage my children to do so they don’t blindly accept someone else’s truth as their own.

      After finishing the book, we discussed how each of us visualizes the elements: our sprinklers for water, our garden for earth, our summer campfire for fire, and the wind that blows our flag for air.

      The illustrations depict the families and the tools they use. My kids loved the drawings of Rupert, who has become one of their favorite adventurous animals.

      If you’re ready to teach your children about magick, I urge you to introduce them to Rupert.

- Keya Michaels