A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm by Stead, Philip C.

A plucky young goatkeeper sets out on a misadventurous rescue mission in this uproarious debut novel with premium hardcover features, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Lemony Snicket.

In a kingdom ruled by a capricious king, the castle rests on the backs of twenty-four goats, and the welfare of those goats rests on the back of a girl called Bernadette. So when one goat escapes, it's up to her--with the help of a very forgetful wizard and a Boat That Does Not Grant Wishes--to bring it back safely.

Her task may be straightforward, but this book is anything but. Like a swirling herd of restless goats, the chapters are all out of order. The ending may prove to have been the beginning all along. All the while, the author of Bernadette's saga--a character himself--hurries to write her a resolution, with very mixed results. And if you're feeling lost, don't worry; the story has twenty-four morals, of varying advisability, to edify you along the way.

Award-winning picture book author and illustrator Philip Stead makes a confident debut as a novelist in this laugh-out-loud, one-of-a-kind illustrated tale, chock-full of running gags, broken fourth walls, and underdog triumph.

Gilded edges, a velvet-touch jacket with foil accents and embossing, a foil-stamped cloth case and printed endpapers make A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic as thrilling to hold as it is to open, a perfect gift for any young reader.

Author: Philip C. Stead
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 04/07/2026
Pages: 328
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.46lbs
Size: 8.21h x 6.40w x 1.17d
ISBN: 9780823458097
Age Range: 10-UP

Review Citation(s):
Shelf Awareness 01/01/0001
Publishers Weekly 01/05/2026
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
School Library Journal 03/01/2026 pg. 68
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2026 pg. 71

About the Author
Philip Stead is the author of the Caldecott Medal-winning book A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book, illustrated by his wife and frequent collaborator, Erin Stead. He is the author and illustrator of The North Wind and the Sun, a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year. He lives with Erin, their daughter, and their dog in a hundred-year-old barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan.