It begins on a most unusual day, when a blue sun rises in a green sky and dozens of balloons fly from every tree. And when a magician in a long black coat and a starry hat turns up, the sights become even stranger. The magician grants a lucky child nine wishes, each more marvelous than the last ― an orange pony with a purple tail, a garden with candy flowers, a pocket-sized zoo, and other whimsical wonders.
Master storyteller Shirley Jackson,...