Anno's Magic Seeds

If you have ever wished that math could be interesting or even fun, MEET MR. ANNO! This Japanese artist/mathematician is a treasure. For older students, Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar is a great way to introduce "factorials". Anno and his co-author son, Masaichiro, say, "Learning about numbers and how they can expand almost without limit by such simple means as are shown in this book will, we hope, give readers an idea of the remarkable order that underlies our universe, and a sense of the mystery, wonder, and excitement that can be experienced through mathematics."
That's my kind of math, and my kind of magic!
PS: Don't worry if the computations in either of these books is over your children's heads; mystery and wonder don't require mastery of facts or techniques.

The Van Gogh Cafe: This Week with Cynthia Rylant

"The Van Gogh Cafe brings out the best in people.." But I'm not sure it brought out the best in Cynthia Rylant. Publishers Weekly said, "Readers will share the wonder of ten-year-old Clara and her father Marc, the cafe's owner, as they witness a series of serendipitous occurrences involving stranded seagulls, aged film stars, magic muffins, lost pets, and mysterious travelers." I think it was the gluttonous seagulls and aged film star that lost me toward the end.
School Library Journal enthused- "A lovely title that's perfectly suited to all readers who can recognize the special magic of the world around them." Of course it is lovely; Rylant will not, perhaps cannot, produce anything else. It's the special magic that I'm unsure of. What do you think of this kind of "magic"? Is it similar or different from the kind of magic in, say, Narnia?
Reading level = 4.5; not recommended.