The Story of Gumluck the Wizard: Book One

By Adam Rex

Meet Gumluck the Wizard, the star of a new chapter book series by the inimitable Adam Rex!

This is a story about magic, if you like that kind of thing. It is also a story about a ghost with amnesia, an unpopular fairy, an ungrateful little town, and an extremely wise and helpful raven (who happens to be a pretty talented storyteller). But mostly, it is about a friendly little wizard who lives inside a big hill and really, really, really wants to be a hero. His name is Gumluck, and he is a bumbling noodlehead.

In this tall tale about a short wizard, celebrated author Adam Rex proves once and for all that the biggest heroes often come in the smallest nightgowns.

THE DELIGHTFUL ADAM REX: Adam Rex's first chapter book series is a zany caper, with heart and humor across every page.

A NEW CHAPTER BOOK CLASSIC: With simple sentences and glorious black-and-white illustrations, this series hearkens back to classic chapter books and is perfect for newly independent readers.
 
FANTASTICAL FUN: With a lighthearted mix of fantasy and fairytale elements, this imaginative book is perfect for young fans of wizardry and magic.
 
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Acclaimed children's book creator Adam Rex is known for his funny and smart stories. The winner of countless state list awards, Rex is the author of beloved books including On Account of The Gum, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, School's First Day of School, and many more.

Perfect for:

• Fans of Adam Rex
• Parents and grandparents seeking funny children's book series
• Teachers and librarians looking for engaging children's fantasy and magic books
• Anyone looking for fantasy chapter books
• Readers who enjoy Chris Colfer's A Tale of Magic, the Unicorn Academy series, and Magic Tree House books

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781797215396

Adam Rex

Adam Rex is the author of many books, including Cold Cereal and Unlucky Charms, the first two books in the Cold Cereal Saga; the New York Times bestselling picture books The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors and Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich; the middle grade novel The True Meaning of Smekday (now a major motion picture from Dreamworks, Home); and the teen novel Fat Vampire. He lives in Arizona with his wife.

Book preview

Gumluck’s Guests

Let me tell you how I met the wizard Gumluck.

It was Monday.

It is Monday! he said, in his little brass bed, in the hill that he used for a house.

On Mondays Gumluck had visitors.

He changed out of his nightgown and into his daygown.

So much to do!

(Look at him, hopping around, ridiculous. What a buggy-bumper.)

He used magic to sweep the floors.

He made magic to polish the candelabra.

That’s when he saw that his upstairs pumpkin was downstairs, and his downstairs pumpkin was upstairs.

If you are not a wizard, you probably don’t have upstairs pumpkins and downstairs pumpkins. Or maybe you do, but you don’t mind mixing them up. I think that is very smart of you.

Such a mess, Gumluck sighed. And everything must be just right for my guests.

So he pushed his pumpkins into place and walked outside to have a look at his house. A raven was in the yard, hunting for sticks and straw.

That’s me. I am the raven. Maybe you didn’t know you were reading a story told by a raven. If you do not like it, you can leave.

But look. This is a story about helping and haunting. A story of good lies and bad truths. Ghosts and gold. The story of a dance, a disaster, and the day I fell in love. So you might as well stay—because most of all I want to tell you that last part, and it doesn’t happen until the end.

Old Lady Crow, the wizard said to me, today I will have visitors from town! They like to come say hello, you know how it is.

I fluffed my feathers and said, Humph. I am not so old. And I am certainly not a crow.

You know, the townspeople call me the Little Wizard Who Lives in the Big Hill! Gumluck said.

Then he chewed his lip. But do you think my hill is big enough?

I do not know, I thought, and I do not care.

He said, "What if someone comes looking for the Little Wizard Who Lives in the Big Hill, and when they see my hill they say, ‘That is not so big! This must not be the place.’ They might walk right by without stopping. That wouldn’t do."

Gumluck the Wizard rolled up his sleeves and made a shovel out of magic. He made a bucket out of magic. He shoveled mud out of his shoveling hole, and bucketed mud to the hilltop, where he plopped it.