Joanna Cole, author of the immensely popular (and long-running) Magic School Bus series, which began in 1986 with The Magic School Bus At The Waterworks, here presents a story inspired by some of the classic folktale themes, from the magical employer/master, to the three trials through which the hero and heroine must pass, to find their freedom. The story of a boy named Tom, who comes to town one day, looking for work, and finds employment as a servant to Doctor Change - a malicious magician capable of changing into any form, who subsequently refuses to allow Tom to leave the house - it follows its hero as he escapes (with the help of the knowledge in Doctor Change's own magic book), and runs away. Meeting a lovely young girl on his flight, Tom aids her, and is aided in turn, when Doctor Change pursues him...

I don't think I would have even known of this book's existence, let alone picked it up, were I not working my way, alphabetically, through my public library's folklore section. I'm not sure, really, why this would have been shelved there, rather in the general picture-book section, as it is certainly - despite its use of folkloric motifs - not an actual folktale. In any case, I found the narrative only moderately engaging, but the artwork charming - far more appealing than what I was expecting, based on the cover illustration! Recommended primarily to fans of the artist, Donald Carrick (who also illustrated the southern folktale, Moss Gown), and to young readers with a strong interest in original fairy-tales. ( )