Based upon the Polish legend of Pan Twardowski, an astronomer and alchemist said to have lived in 16th-century Krakow, this gorgeously-illustrated picture book relates the tale of a magician who dreams of visiting the moon. When his many years of study fail to bring him any closer to his goal, he makes a bargain, Faust-like, with the devil...

The winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal (awarded to the most distinguished picture book published in Great Britain) in 1972 for The Woodcutter's Duck, Krystyna Turska delivers another beautiful folktale retelling with The Magician of Cracow. I regret that I did not encounter this book when a child, as I would have enjoyed poring over some of the more intricate panels, like the one of the magician in his study, for hours. ( )