Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC of this!

It was funny and adorable and my 7 year old really enjoyed it! We listened along with the audio as well and it was well done. If you need a cute story with an animal narrator this is perfect for that!

Fun early chapter romp into fantasy and fairytales! Short chapters, silly tone, lovable characters and noodleheads galore. Already shared successfully with 3rd graders and often requested for rereading!

This is, undeniably, a somewhat silly story. Young readers (or listeners - this is a book well suited to being read aloud) will giggle over misunderstandings and Gumluck's bumbling attempts at being helpful. Meanwhile, they will be absorbing messaging about honesty, kindness, and the harm in changing yourself in an effort to please others. The text is well supported by the occasional detailed illustration that makes this a solid choice for independent readers as well.

08/25/2023 (posting 09/02/2023) || Story of Gumluck the Wizard Book:1 || I just reviewed Gumluck the Wizard Book:1 by Adam Rex #StoryofGumlucktheWizard #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Adam Rex, and Chronicle Books for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.

4.5 Stars !!
This is a very sweet, endearing story filled with found family and self love

There were so many touching moments between Gumluck, his ghostly pal, and the crow, our narrator.

I really feel like this is a good book for children. There is a very strong and constant theme focused on being your most truest self and how the right people will find you and love you as you are. To not let negativity, doubt, and harsh words dampen your spirit. And that the love and support that comes unconditionally from your loved ones can move mountains and save lives.

The illustrations are simply gorgeous and truly add another layer of warmth to this story for me.
Didn't give it a full 5 stars because I felt while the story was great and the execution was phenomenal, the beginning was a touch clunky for me, but overall it ended up making sense. But right away, I wasn't too sure where the story was going. That's not something I need in a book personally, but I feel like it is somewhat needed for children's books.

I am constantly surprised by the wide variety of stories that come from the imagination of Adam Rex. The Story of Gumluck the Wizard is, again, like nothing I've seen before. It is completely sweet and gentle and funny. Gumluck made me consider what true kindness is and even what it isn't. Helvetica the raven is the perfect narrator. Her salty personality keeps that story from becoming too sweet. I will definitely buy this book for my library and possibly for one or two of the children in my life.

I originally picked up this book because of the cover and the author, but I stayed because the story was great! I loved the inclusion of some black and white sketch like images with the story. It made the story really pop and allowed me to imagine the story better.

I loved the pair: Gumluck a naive and kind wizard who appreciates friendship and wants to help everyone and the raven who has a more cynical but honest perspective of the world and life. They balance each other well. The chapters introduce little topics and some are great to discuss such as good lies vs bad truths.
I loved the illustrations and the short story overall. It's very cute. It's not about what people decorate you should do or be but being honest with your true self.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

This goofy little wizard doesn’t seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer. The place he lives doesn’t appear to respect him and he encounters some silly characters. His greatest wish to be a hero may come true.

I started this book expecting another fun silly early chapter book to add to my recommendations repertoire. However, as I read I could not pull myself away from this lovely (still very silly!) little story about Gumluck and Helvetica. By the ending, I was so enthralled with the book that I immediately bumped my library order up from 1 copy to 2 so that I can booktalk it more readily to the schools I visit. The illustrations are so full of life despite being sketches, and I think children of all ages will love this one. I plan to bring it to 2nd-5th grade classrooms to catch all different levels of readers. Highly recommended.