The Magic Fan

Keith Baker’s award winning children’s book, The Magic Fan, is set in a seaside village in Japan where a young carpenter boy named Yoshi becomes bored with building ordinary things. One day, he finds a magic fan that inspires him to build things that reach beyond the stars. When a tsunami devastates his village and takes away the fan, Yoshi learns about the give and take of life, as he also discovers where true magic resides.

The adaptation of The Magic Fan for stage adds several colorful characters to the story, including Yoshi’s mentor and guardian grandfather, Papa-san; the hilarious Sneezer, a Siamese cat with allergies; and the dazzling Benzaiten, an eight-armed sea goddess who narrates the play in haiku. The book’s original message is broadened when Yoshi and the villagers discover that the magic not only resides within each individual, but also within the community as a whole.

The Magic Fan, Friday, February 29, 7 p.m. at  the Whidbey Children's Theater. To order your free ticket,, contact wiwa@whidbey.com or call 360-331-6714.