4Hard to resist. -- The Horn Book Magazine
Wild and woolly, funny and outrageously fun. -- New York Review of Books
There's nothing this Puddin' enjoys more than offering slices of himself to strangers, observes Bill Barnacle the sailor. Since its 1918 debut, generations of hungry readers have been helping themselves to The Magic Pudding. A walking, talking dessert, the pudding shares its deliciousness with everyone and never runs out -- because it's magic!
Australian author and artist Norman Lindsay wrote this jolly fable in response to a friend who claimed that children liked to read about fairies. Lindsay maintained that kids prefer food and fighting, and this fun-filled romp abounds in both. Sailor Bill and his companions Bunyip Bluegum (a koala) and Sam Sawnoff (a penguin) stroll, eat, and defend the pudding from would-be thieves. Upon occasion, the friends burst into exuberant song, punctuating their adventures with a series of whimsical rhymes. Charmingly illustrated by the author, this children's classic promises to satisfy even the biggest appetite. Hearty eaters, as Sam remarks, are always welcome.