Reviews: (by author)

Thompson, Colin. The Great Montefiasco. Illus. Ben Redlich. New York : Star Bright Books, 2005. $16.95

The Great Montefiasco is a magician. Unfortunately, his magical tricks rarely work the way they're meant to. Typically, the poor performer's audience greets his best routines with gales of laughter, not the oohs and ahhs of astonished delight he craves. Of course, it doesn't help that Bert the rabbit is too deaf to hear his cue when he's meant to come out of the magic box and instead sleeps peacefully in the secret compartment. The sad truth is that even when the tricks do work, they're nothing special. But what else can he do?
At wit's end, Montefiasco follows the advice of the theater manager and advertises for an assistant. Much to his surprise, Montefiasco finds the Fabulous Betty, whose lifelong ambition is to be a magician's assistant. Filled with hope, they launch their debut performance only to find that they have unwittingly created the greatest comic team ever seen. Amid pratfalls and failed tricks, the hapless duo at last finds their proper place in show business. Love, marriage and familial bliss aren't far behind.
This bittersweet tale is a delightful read. Ben Redlich's illustrations accentuate the human comedy that drives the story. In this case, the happy ending is welcome and richly deserved. And wait until you meet the Minifiascos!

- Mark Janssen, March 2006

Back to Reviews R-T