Mossby's Magic Carpet Handbook by Ilona Bray

Learn loads without even realizing it through this hilariously clever magic carpet handbook!


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I received a free copy of this product from Innovation Press in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.


Magic. Silliness. Adventure.

This book will take you on a wild ride before you even take the first step onto your inherited carpet!






This book is quite unusual -- it presents itself as a real, intricate how-to manual from a magical carpet company, but it has an extra story layer added in.


The front cover includes a note from your long-lost great aunt who sent you this manual to thoroughly study before heading off to visit her in person, when she'll turn over her carpet along with the magic word.


Not only has your great-aunt affixed a letter and photo to the inside cover, but she has filled the pages with her own handwritten notes to you, as well!

This isn't a typical story -- there's no real plot and you're just thrown into this world of magic with no warning, trying to get your bearings with every turn of the page.


You don't have your carpet yet, but can still devote time and energy into learning how it works!

Things aren't as haphazard as they appear, however. No, the immediate feeling of discombobulation when you crack open the cover actually draws you in further to the total Mossby's experience. 

The book feels more like flipping through a magazine or graphic novel -- appealing to reluctant readers or those who don't always favor fiction in traditional novel form.

(I'm specifically thinking about how many boys in my former classroom would have been putting this book to constant use!)


The handbook closes with the signatures of carpet owners who have taken the vow. There's room for yours as well as whomever you pass it along to in the future!

Not only is this title an easy one to pick up and put down after only reading a short blurb at a time, but it's full of fun bodily functions -- burps, farts & nose-picking all included.

See? Can't you just see the boys scrambling after this?


You can't cover G forces without a little vomit humor!

It's an absolute adventure -- and reminds me of Jules Verne or The Twenty-One Balloons, but with the twist of reading two things at once, since you've got the original handbook and your aunt's notes that you're plowing through simultaneously in an often hilarious fashion (see previous note on burps & farts!)

You end up learning loads without even realizing it as you make your way through this book. I'm wondering if it was created by an unschooler, because it's tons of fun to read, but also naturally teaches about so many subjects at the same time.


Ever wonder how a compass works? Wonder no more, after these pages!

Geography, survival & first-aid tips, different cultures, instruction on how a compass works, information on weather and animals, careers, flight and G forces are just a few of the things your child will pick up on while spending time with this title -- with plenty of rich (& silly!) vocabulary thrown in!

Just what careers make use of mad magic carpet skills? This list answers that question!

Besides just having fun with this book, I can see it easily serving as a story-starter or project theme for kids, because it can relate to practically anything your child is interested in.

For example, after your child finishes reading through the entire book, she could design her own mini carpet -- either as a paper craft with plenty of glitter and glue or something fancier, like a sewing or weaving project (magic carpet potholders, maybe?) 

She could then create a scrapbook for her travels, or even just fill out a composition book to journal things she learned while riding around on her carpet and exploring different countries or habitats or animals or space or...whatever she's passionate about learning about at the moment!

Or you could turn this into a creative writing project -- a multi-chapter fictional account of what happens after she finishes the handbook and picks up her carpet and magic word from the crazy aunt. Think of how easily this book could be formed, even by young writers.

After discussing the life adjustment to having a magic carpet, each chapter could then focus on a different detail explored. What better way to provide a loose framework for your child to follow, while allowing for complete freedom in subject matter!


Download your FREE Mossby's Personal Adventure Companion sheet here for a list of fun extension activities to try after reading this book!

This book will definitely appeal most to elementary and middle school-aged readers. Gv is a bit young to fully appreciate it right now, but she still enjoyed flipping through the thick pages and examining all the illustrations.


Auroras, constellations, bioluminescence and more are covered on this two-page spread!

It will be fun to see "where" she decides to take her carpet adventures, once she gets a bit older.


Grab your own copy of the book here and see where the magic carpet takes your child!

Do you have a nontraditional reader at your house? Or a child with an active imagination that will set off on personal adventures on a magic carpet as a result of this book?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

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