I told Banana to sit, then gave Sadie a thumbs-up. She held one end of the banner we’d made, and Isabel and I unrolled it. “Welcome to Mrs. Shirley’s birthday magic show!” we said together, just like we’d rehearsed. The audience clapped and cheered.
I looked at Mrs. Shirley. She held one hand to her chest in surprise. “What on earth?” she said. Her face broke into a huge smile. I smiled back.
“I’d like to introduce our first magician: the magical, mysterious Miss Sadie!” I said. I swept my arm toward Sadie and she took a deep bow.
The rest of us moved offstage and Sadie stood behind the desk to perform her magic trick. She let Mrs. Shirley be the one to choose the card, and turned around to face the wall while Mrs. Shirley showed it to the audience. It was the seven of hearts.
Sadie turned back around and did the whole trick perfectly—better than I’d ever seen it. When she lifted up the seven of hearts at the end and said, “Is this your card?” everyone gasped and applauded. Even Justin looked impressed. Sadie took another bow.
I stepped back into the stage area. “Please welcome our next magician: the magical, mischievous Mr. Justin!” I said.
Justin took Sadie’s place behind the table. I stood off to the side with my friends. Sadie clutched my left arm and Isabel grabbed my right one. This was the moment we’d been waiting for! Our chance to figure out how the trick was done.
We watched carefully as Justin let Mrs. Shirley cut the deck and invited Chuck to shuffle. It definitely didn’t look like Justin had the cards in a prearranged order. What else could the secret be?
Justin pulled a blindfold from his pocket, tied it around his eyes, and turned to face the wall. A neighbor from down the street chose a card, memorized it, and placed it back in the deck. Justin turned back to the audience and lifted his blindfold. Sadie, Isabel, and I all held our breath.
Banana stepped closer to Justin and tilted her head as he shuffled the cards. He placed them on the table, one by one, facedown, in a pattern that looked like a giant flower. My mouth fell open, and Sadie squeezed my arm harder. This was different from how Justin had done the trick last time. Was it a brand-new trick?
My heart did a cartwheel in my chest. Justin was fooling us again! We couldn’t learn the secret of his trick because he’d tricked us by doing a new one! I had to admit that was pretty clever. I could tell Isabel and Sadie thought so too.
Justin placed the last card in the center of the flower, and flipped it over. “Is this your card?” he asked.
“Yes!” the neighbor who’d picked it answered. “Amazing!” Everyone applauded, including Sadie, Isabel, and me, even though we felt disappointed. Justin’s parents were clapping the loudest.
Isabel gave us a little shrug and went off to prepare her trick as Justin showed the card to the audience. It was the three of diamonds.
I gasped. Banana swiveled her head to look at me and lifted both ears. I nodded and she thumped her tail to join the applause.
I’d figured it out. I finally knew how Justin had done it!
Chapter Twenty-One Fool Me Twice
I grinned at Justin while he took his bow. That was a pretty tricky trick he’d pulled. It had almost fooled me again, but not quite.
I couldn’t wait to tell Sadie and Isabel what I’d figured out. But I would have to wait. We were in the middle of a magic show! And as my Nana always says, the show must go on.
I returned to the stage. “Our next magician is the magical, masterful Miss Isabel!” I announced.
Isabel stood in the center of the room to perform her disappearing coin trick. I ducked behind the desk and hid behind the tablecloth to prepare Miss Fluffybutt. Justin crouched beside me to help.
“Good job,” I whispered.
“Thanks!” he whispered back.
“Say, can I borrow your deck of cards for a second?” I asked.
Justin narrowed his eyes. “What for?”
“Nothing much. Just to see if I’m right that every card in the deck is the three of diamonds,” I said.
I could see from his face that my guess was correct. “How did you know?” he whispered.
I grinned. “Magic,” I said.
Justin laughed, but softly, so as not to interrupt Isabel’s trick.
“I knew it the second I saw the card,” I told him. “I might not have remembered that we chose the same one, except that three is a very important number to me.”
“You’re not going to tell everyone, are you?” he asked. He opened Miss Fluffybutt’s cage and took her out.
I shook my head. “Not everyone. Just Sadie and Isabel,” I said. He looked like he wanted to protest, but there wasn’t time to discuss it—we had to get my trick ready. It was almost time for the show’s grand finale.
I unfolded the black cloth and Justin placed Miss Fluffybutt inside. I lifted the corners to make it a pouch, like I’d practiced with Banana’s toy. But unlike all the times I’d done it before, this time the pouch was moving. It was heavier and larger now, too.
I looked at Justin in alarm. The book and video had said the rabbit would hold still for this part, but Miss Fluffybutt did not hold still. She squirmed and kicked, but Justin petted her and she settled down. I smiled my thanks. We hung the pouch from its knob.
“Don’t worry. Sadie and Isabel know how to keep a secret,” I said.
Justin frowned. He peeked inside the pouch to make sure Miss Fluffybutt was doing okay, and gave me a thumbs-up. I gave him a thumbs-up back, and the audience clapped loudly. Isabel had finished her trick. It sounded like it had gone just as well as the others. So far, our magic show was a huge success, and we’d saved the best trick for last.
I stood and placed the top hat and magic wand on the desk. Justin stepped aside to join the audience. I took a deep breath and looked at Banana for extra confidence.
It was time to make magic!
Chapter Twenty-Two Faster Than a Speeding Bunny
Sadie stepped toward the center of the stage. “And now for our grand finale! The magical, marvelous Miss Anna!” she said.
Everyone clapped. I put the top hat on my head, holding on to the rim so it wouldn’t cover my eyes, then tipped the hat toward the audience. I smiled extra big at Mrs. Shirley, and put the top hat back on the table. “As you can see, this is a perfectly normal, perfectly empty top hat,” I said. I showed the audience there was nothing inside, then flipped the hat in the air and caught it, just like I’d rehearsed. Everyone clapped again. They were already loving it.
I lowered the hat toward the table with one hand. In my other hand, I grabbed the rabbit pouch, ready to lift it smoothly behind the hat like I’d practiced a million times. But it wasn’t going the way it had in my rehearsals. Not at all.
The second I moved the pouch off the knob, Miss Fluffybutt squirmed inside it. I wanted to tell her “Shhhh” and “It’s okay,” but I couldn’t say anything or the audience would see me talking to her. Instead, I held still, kept the pouch beneath the table, and smiled at the audience to pretend everything was okay. Miss Fluffybutt calmed down. I took a deep breath and tried again.
I lifted the pouch a second time. This time it started smoothly. But just as I was about to drop her inside the hat, Miss Fluffybutt kicked at the sides with her giant feet and leaped right out of the pouch.
“Miss Fluffybutt!” Justin cried. A few people in the audience screamed in surprise, and others jumped up from where they were sitting. Miss Fluffybutt shot across the room and ran past Banana, Sadie, and Isabel, straight behind Mrs. Shirley’s chair.
Justin raced after her. He lunged to catch her but she darted out from under his grasp. “Miss Fluffybutt!” Justin called again. He jumped over the couch and chased her around the room as she ran in one direction, then another. I watched with horror. This was a disaster!
Everyone was standing and pointing or squealing. Miss Fluffybutt was on the loose and my trick was completely ruined. Chuck was laughing so hard, he had tears streaming down his cheeks. Sa
die and Isabel were staring at Justin with their mouths wide open, like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Even Mrs. Shirley was chuckling. I’d never felt so embarrassed.
Instead of pulling off the best trick ever, I’d become the biggest joke ever. And I’d ruined the big birthday surprise.
I picked up my glittery wand. I wished I could wave it through the air and fix this. But the wand wasn’t really magic. I squeezed it in my hand and tried not to cry.
I felt a soft nudge against my leg and looked down to see Banana. She held the yellow plastic bunny toy in her mouth. She put her front paws on the table and dropped the bunny into the hat, just like she’d done all those times we had practiced. Then she lowered herself to the floor and sat, waiting for me to take the rabbit out of the hat.
I stared at her, then looked out at the audience. No one had even noticed what she’d done. Justin and Miss Fluffybutt had created the perfect diversion.
Banana swished her tail and I grinned at her. I knew just how to finish the trick now. Maybe the show wasn’t completely ruined. Banana had saved the day!
“I got her!” Justin shouted from behind the couch. He stood, cradling Miss Fluffybutt in his arms. Everyone applauded, just like they’d clapped for his card trick—like this mixed-up, messed-up moment was a funny end to the show. But the show wasn’t over yet.
Justin gave me a sheepish look. He hadn’t wanted to steal my spotlight. “Sorry, Anna,” he said. He kissed the top of Miss Fluffybutt’s head.
“Don’t be silly. I’m glad you caught your rabbit,” I said. “But now, if I could have everyone’s attention back, please—I was in the middle of performing my magic trick.”
Sadie, Isabel, and everyone else in the room looked at me in surprise. They all thought my trick had been ruined. But not Banana. She sat up straight, watching and waiting. She knew exactly what was coming next.
I waved my magic wand over the top hat. “Abracadabra, presto bunny rabbit!” I said. I reached inside and pulled out Banana’s toy. “Ta-da!”
Everyone gasped and applauded, even louder than they’d clapped before. I squeezed the bunny once to make it squeak, then tossed it high in the air. Banana jumped and caught it.
I’d pulled a rabbit out of the hat after all. Magic!
Chapter Twenty-Three The Grandest Grand Finale
Justin, Miss Fluffybutt, Isabel, and Sadie joined Banana and me at center stage so we could take one more bow. When the applause ended, Dad stepped into the room with the final surprise: a birthday cake glowing with candles.
We all sang “Happy Birthday” and Mrs. Shirley wiped a happy tear from her eye. She clasped her hands together, made a wish, and blew out the candles with one big breath.
Dad cut the cake and I handed out the pieces. It was chocolate cake with pink vanilla frosting: Sadie’s, Isabel’s, and my favorite. I let Banana have a small taste of the frosting. After all, she’d earned it with that trick.
“Were you surprised?” I asked Mrs. Shirley.
“Goodness, yes,” she said. “You made my birthday wish come true! A party with a real magic show. Who would have thought? And I dare say no one will ever forget that grand finale. Your version of the rabbit-in-the-hat trick beats out even the one I saw as a kid.”
“It didn’t go exactly as planned,” I admitted. “There was a bit of a mix-up.”
“I’ve seen both versions, and I thought this one was even better,” Sadie said.
“Me too,” Isabel agreed. “It was much more surprising.”
“It was definitely surprising,” Justin said. “I still don’t know how you did it!” He petted Miss Fluffybutt, who he hadn’t let go of since he’d caught her. Miss Fluffybutt twitched her nose.
“The secret is to practice, practice, practice,” I said. “And to have a magic helper on your team, like Banana.” My friends laughed. Banana wriggled proudly. She bit down on her rabbit toy to make it squeak, and dropped it in my lap. I tossed it across the room for her. She scampered after it.
“I’m glad you had a good birthday,” I told Mrs. Shirley.
“I did.” She winked. “The most magical birthday ever.”
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to my editor, Alexa Pastor, for improving this book with her magic touch. A tip of the hat to the whole team at S&S, which has done so much to support this show, including designer Laurent Linn, editrix emeritus Kristin Ostby, illustrator Cassey Kuo, and Audrey Gibbons, Katrina Groover, Martha Hanson, Justin Chanda, and Anne Zafian.
Three bunny hops each for Rooga and Jeff; a glittery wand toss for Sophia and Anna; a pinch of magic fart powder for the original Chuck; and appreciative applause for my first and best audience, Ati and Mama—each of whom has a few good tricks up their sleeves. Scratches between the ears for Little Night and Popper, the best rabbits ever.
And—ta-da!—a bouquet of thanks for you, reader.
About the Author and Illustrator
Anica Mrose Rissi grew up on an island off the coast of Maine, where she read a lot of books and loved a lot of pets. She now tells and collects stories, makes up songs on her violin, and eats lots of cheese with her friends in Princeton, New Jersey, where she lives with her dog, Arugula. Find out more at anicarissi.com and follow @anicarissi on Instagram.
Cassey Kuo is a visual development artist and illustrator. Born and raised in New Jersey, she has enjoyed drawing for as long as she can remember and now spends nearly all of her time creating art. When she is not hidden in the studio, she can be found dancing, rock climbing, and generally staying active. Find out more at Kckuo.com and follow @sleepy_kc on Instagram.
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Anica-Mrose-Rissi
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Cassey-Kuo
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Simon & Schuster, New York
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SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2019 by Anica Mrose Rissi
Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Cassey Kuo
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Book design by Laurent Linn
; The illustrations for this book were rendered digitally.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rissi, Anica Mrose, author. | Kuo, Cassey, illustrator.
Title: Anna, Banana, and the magic show mix-up / Anica Mrose Rissi ; illustrated by Cassey Kuo.
Description: First edition. | New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2019] | Series: [Anna, Banana ; 8] | Summary: When Anna and her friends put on a magic show to celebrate an elderly neighbor’s birthday the grand finale goes awry, but Banana steps up to save the day.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019001921 | ISBN 9781534417229 (hardcover) ISBN 9781534417212 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781534417236 (eBook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Magic tricks—Fiction. | Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Dachshunds—Fiction. | Dogs—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.R5265 Anr 2019 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019001921
Anna, Banana, and the Magic Show Mix-Up Page 5
