The Wand in the Woods

For one young child, the discovery of a glowing wand with which she can wave away her chores illuminates the simple pleasure of doing things on her own, mindfully.

For Elliot and her dog, Spinner, this morning’s walk in the woods starts out like most others: practicing their balance, sniffing out snacks, and searching for sticks to build forts. But today she spies something unusual on the forest floor—a stick that glows like the moon. Indeed, this stick proves to have special powers, ones that are useful for a girl who doesn’t like to clean her room or give her dog a bath. Now, with a simple swipe of the wand, every chore is done and every piece of homework is perfectly completed. It’s no wonder that Elliot comes to rely on this new treasure, but what she doesn’t expect is that with its ease of use, the joy of her accomplishments will soon begin to fade. What will it take for Elliot to enjoy her everyday pleasures again and feel the “magic in the doing”? With charmingly expressive illustrations, Tom Booth’s fantastical take on mindfulness reminds us to put down our devices and savor the simple analog joy of doing things ourselves, in the moment.Tom Booth has illustrated several acclaimed children’s books, including the Legends of Eerie-on-Sea series by Thomas Taylor, and is the author-illustrator of books such as Don’t Blink! and This Is Christmas. He grew up outside Philadelphia and now lives in Maine with his wife and son. Also, his middle name rhymes with broccoli.