A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic

Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm

by Philip C. Stead

Narrated by Daniel Henning

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Listen to an Audio Excerpt

Pub Date Apr 07 2026 | Archive Date Apr 14 2026

RBmedia | Recorded Books

Children's Fiction

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Description

A plucky young goatkeeper sets out on a misadventurous rescue mission in this uproarious debut novel, 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.

Advance Praise

"[A] warmhearted middle grade debut, told via nonlinear chronology and tongue-in-cheek prose. . . . Stead employs delightfully absurd, intricately labyrinthine plotting to comedic and dramatic effect, wittily manipulating structure and narrative while using clever wordplay to weave an inspiring tale that intrigues from the jump..."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"For fans of goats, wordplay, and the absurd."
—The Horn Book

"You know how when you tell a story you start in the middle, then you back up, add characters, jump forward, and then try to tie it all together but you can’t? Well, that’s what Philip Stead does in A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic. Only he can. You know, tie it all together. And he adds twenty-four morals. Here’s one more: 'Read this book and rejoice.'"
—Chris Raschka, two-time Caldecott Medal winner and Hans Christian Andersen Medal nominee

"A charmingly labyrinthine fantasy with broad appeal for those who enjoy clever narration and lightly chaotic quests; a strong addition to collections."
—School Library Journal (starred review)

"[A] warmhearted middle grade debut, told via nonlinear chronology and tongue-in-cheek prose. . . . Stead employs delightfully absurd, intricately labyrinthine plotting to comedic and dramatic...

Available Editions

EDITION	Audiobook, Unabridged
ISBN	9798899737732
PRICE	$27.99 (USD)
DURATION	5 Hours, 17 Minutes

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