The Wizard Comes to Town

by Mercer Mayer

When Wizard Extraordinaire, Z. P. Alabasium, rents a room at Mrs. Begg’s boarding house, things go mysteriously awry. First, a windstorm blows away the laundry. Then rain falls inside the parlor. Soon strange creatures float through the air, and lizards appear in the guests’ bed. But Mrs. Beggs has a secret up her sleeve. Her great Aunt Celia was a witch and left behind a book of magic spells. Before things get any worse, Mrs. Beggs whips up some magic of her own and gets rid of her wizard problem! But watch out! Her new tenant—a dragon—looks to be even more trouble!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Mercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

An elderly lady and her boarders live peacefully until a malicious newcomer arrives and makes trouble.

I loved this book as a child and was never able to find it again, probably because I was misremembering* the title. Hey, on that note, does anyone know the name of Mayer's book with the letter that gets stolen by various monsters on its way to delivery? I'd like to find that one as well.

*[Edit: Found my old copy to pass on to the nieces; apparently I was right about the title but it was reissued under [book:The Wizard Comes to Town|472680]. My memory isn't always faulty.]

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this in its original incarnation - love Mayer's early style (this and There's a Nightmare in My Closet were multiple-check-out favorites).

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1973, as Mrs. Begg and the Wizard, this delightful picture-book from Mercer Mayer was recently reprinted, under this new title, The Wizard Comes to Town - and thank goodness it was! Whatever name used (I'm not really sure why the change was made), this is a story young readers will enjoy, particularly during the Halloween season, so I'm glad to see that it's available again. The tale of Mrs. Begg and her boarding house, who are put to the test when a new boarder - one Wizard Extraordinaire, Z.P. Alabasium - creates chaos with his magic, it boasts both an engaging narrative and utterly enchanting illustrations.

Mayer's artwork always remind me a bit of Trina Schart Hyman (high praise, indeed!), and this was no exception. There were also some scenes, particularly that involving the boarders - almost in profile, on the steps leading to the wizard's room - that strongly resemble some of the work Mayer later did in his fairy-tales, books like Beauty and the Beast . With an abundance of creepy creatures, and a satisfying conclusion, this is one book young magic-lovers will not want to miss!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly picked up this book in the Easy Reader section while looking for Little Critter Mercer Mayer books for my 5 month old. I have always loved his books, especially because of the illustrations of monsters, and this book is perfect for that. It is a cute story about Z.P. Alabasium, a traveling wizard who decides to stay at Mrs. Beggs boarding house and creates all kinds of trouble for her and her guests. That is until she decides to take matters into her own hands and get rid of him. My favorite part is when she goes to confront the wizard and finds herself dressed in a ballet tutu on top of a giant tortoise. Recommended for ages 7+, 4 stars.

[Erin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always loved Mercer Mayer's work as a child, so I got this book from my local library on a lark. I love the illustrations, and I think kids would love the fantastic and ridiculous elements, regardless of the fact that this book is more than a quarter-century old. It's like Mary Poppins meets Where the Wild Things Are. I love it!

[Katelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother bought this book for me when I was just a young girl and it truly captivated my mind for years and years. I can remember sitting and re-reading it night after night full of intrigue and curiosity. The artwork was so creative and dark but not in a scary sort of way. Still one of my most favorite childhood reads!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was at the thrift store and thought - oh, a Mercer Mayer story that I don't have! I didn't even read it until I got home and realized it's the same as "The Wizard Comes to Town". In my defense, the illustrations on the front and back cover of "Mrs. Beggs and the Wizard" are not in "The Wizard Comes to Town" so...now I have an extra copy of this story for one of my grown-up kids to make a part of their library.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect Halloween read. Mayer's monsters are wonderful as always.
I love the concept of boarding houses. I wish we still had them for young adults making the transition to independent living, and for widowers, etc.

[Ammie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one left us a little uneasy. Couldn't even finish it.

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely charming book! The illustrations are stunning. I certainly would consider it a classic.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and, as always, I enjoyed Mayer's illustrations but this is not my favourite Mayer offering. I appreciated the reminder that sometimes the thing we complain most about because the thing we most miss when it is gone.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the first read, my nephew was all eyes. On the second read, he was all questions. Between the history and the magic, he had a lot of questions. Boarding house? Calling card? Ear trumpet? (Which I appreciated seeing, as well as the wheelchair.) Beaver hat?

We liked Mrs. Beggs's creative solution, and when we got to the end of the book, we wondered what would happen next. (And I refrained from commenting on who the hooded figure might be.)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a wizard that comes to town and boards at Mrs. Begg's house.
Strange things happen and Mrs. Begg needs to find out how to get rid of the wizard before her other guests decide to leave.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightfully spooky. Perfect for Halloween storytimes. Children under 5 might be frightened by the odd creatures and happenings, and not understand the humor of the story. I love the illustrations and was surprised this came from Mercer Mayer of Little Critter.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was One of my favorite Books as a Kid and now I read it to my own Kids.

[Miri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Beggs runs a boarding house and one day a wizard arrives to stay and makes life miserable for the other boarders, Mrs. Beggs comes up with a clever idea to get rid of the annoying wizard.

[Kelley Mcalhany]

just an interesting book to read.