He embodies contradictions too poor to pay the innkeeper, he nonetheless produces “rivers of gold coins” from his shoe. The magician wears a red coat and astounds the crowd by pulling “yards and yards of fancy ribbons,” also red, “from his mouth.” The scene foreshadows the way this apparent purveyor of illusion will turn out to be telling the most profound truths. But they could not help noticing this one.” Sánchez Gómez’s delicate color pencil drawings use a predominately blue pastel background, with carefully chosen red tones adding drama. The villagers “would have walked by any other magician, violin player, or jokester. Goldin’s text introduces the daily routines of shtetl life as a background for the exceptional appearance of the magician. While those values are connected to Passover, they are by no means unique to that holiday, nor should this book be considered exclusively seasonal. The book more than justifies updating a classic, offering a different visual interpretation that combines the tangible realities of Jewish life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe with deeply imagined symbolism expressing timeless Jewish values. Barbara Diamond Goldin, who has previously adapted the story, has a new version, The Magician’s Visit, illustrated this time by Eva Sánchez Gómez. Peretz’s Passover story of generosity and faith, The Magician, has been adapted into several picture books over the years.