|
|
|
Optical Illusion Magic: Visual Tricks & Amusements Given the Harry Potter craze, kids have a renewed interest in magic. A selection of books such as these may just do the trick for those wannabe wizards. The Great Houdini Harry Houdini was the stage name of Ehrich Weiss, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who became world famous for his showmanship as an escape artist. It wasn’t easy. Harry practiced thousands of hours and read thousands of books about magic and illusion. His tricks—such as the disappearing elephant, and escaping from handcuffs, ropes, and straight jackets—amazed audiences in Europe and America. His success was due to hard work, perseverance, and skill, which serves as a good example today. This early reader will also appeal to older kids who are having difficulty developing their reading skills. "Step Into Reading" Step 3. 1999, Random House, Ages 6 to 8, $3.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot How to Really Fool Yourself: Illusions for All Your Senses You’ll hardly believe your eyes, ears, nose, hands, and tongue! This children’s science book is fun, educational, and entertaining. It is a book that one could look at again and again, and not be bored. Experiment with the "incredible shrinking sugar cube." Confuse your parents with a dose of "flavorless coffee." Create your own "movie-style sound effects." Learn to change "straight lines into circles." These simple, do-it-yourself activities can provide hours of informative, scientific enjoyment. Learn all about the five human senses and how they can fool you. After each illusion, read the interesting "Why You Were Fooled" section that explains the science and background of the illusion. 1999 (orig. 1981), John Wiley, Ages 8 up, $12.95. Reviewer: Bonnie Bruneau Look-Alikes Jr. As she did in her original book, Look-Alikes, Steiner continues to amaze. She builds scenes using a variety of everyday objects which at first glance look like the real thing. Upon further examination, kids and adults will delight in discovering that the object is not really what it seems. A venetian blind creates the siding of a house, tea bags become the shades, a wallet is the door, and pencils make up the fence. In every scene there are close to 50 items used to create the illusion. The challenge is to find them. The good and bad news is that the answers are in the back of the book, but don’t cheat, much of the fun is in poring over these pictures and marveling at Steiner’s creativeness. Consider this book as a travel companion to keep kids occupied and amused. 1999, Little Brown, Ages 7 up, $13.95. Reviewer: Charlie Wyman Magic This strange book covers the history and fascination of the world of magic. Beginning with Merlin, all the way up to the present, famous illusionists are briefly described as well as the tricks that made each one famous. The origins of our fascination with magic and mind reading are included as well as tips on becoming a magician. Although a fascinating subject, the layout and organization of the text and illustrations makes it confusing and unappealing. Many recent illusionists are not included which would be disappointing to the child truly interested in this subject. 1997, Kingfisher, Ages 7 to 9, $15.95. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger Magic Activity Fun Pack Magic tricks require an audience, props and rehearsal. This fun pack includes not only a book of instructions for 20 tricks, but also numerous props. The activities range from card tricks, mind reading, x-ray vision, optical illusions, and my favorite, the sliced-in-the-peel banana. Detailed written instructions, as well as illustrations, facilitate learning the tricks. Helpful hints on how the scene is set and ways to engage and distract the audience are also included. The kit comes with a magic wand and hat. 1999 (orig.1991), Funfax/DK, Ages 8 to 12, $4.95. Reviewer: Kristin Harris Magic for Kids Have you ever wondered how a magician makes a person disappear, or pulls a chain of colorful scarves out of thin air? This book presents the art of illusion, giving detailed instructions for 28 easy, medium, and difficult tricks that kids can perform. It describes the basics of card tricks, hidden compartments, mirror boxes, mind-reading, and more. Besides that, the book gives tips on how to put on a show, detailing everything from costumes to props to "patter," or what to say while performing a trick. The author, Fay Presto, should know, since she is a well-known magician. Colorful photographs illustrate each step of a trick. Best of all, the props and materials are cheap and easily obtained. The book comes complete with a glossary and resources for those interested in learning more about magic. 1999, Kingfisher, Ages 9 up, $10.95. Reviewer: Emily Schuster The Magic Show It’s all here for those budding Harry Houdinis. The kit includes an instruction book and props to let kids put on a magic show of their own. There is a magic scarf, Svengali card deck, magic wand, dice, sponge balls and more. The steps for performing the tricks are explained and the illustrations help, but the real skill will only come with practice and lots of it. The Magician’s Tips will help kids with their performance and again they emphasize the need for practice, first without the patter, and then with it. The last couple of pages contain seven more tricks to further amaze friends and family. 1999, Somerville House, Ages 8 up, $12.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot Math-A-Magic: Number Tricks for Magicians
Laurence B White and Ray Broekel The writing team of White and Broekel have produced Math-A-Magic, a magic book with an enchanting appeal. The description of each trick follows the same formula. First the trick is described, then there's a how-to and then young wizards can discover why the tricks work. 1990, Whitman, Ages 7 to 10, $12.95 and $4.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Amazing World of Optical Illusions Eight full-page color plates decorate the middle of this very readable and informative look at optical illusions. Revised from an earlier edition, this book discusses the what, the why, and how of optical illusions. Readers who are just looking for the "Oh Wow!" experience will find much to be awed by in the color insert as well as the many black-and-white drawings found on the text-filled pages. Students out to learn more about the brain/eye connection will also find much to consider here. The well-written text discusses both the physiology and the function of both organs, separately and together. Readers will even find some new information about cultural diversity and how it affects what we see. The last chapter, "Optical Illusions in Art" is the only real disappointment-the text clearly explains some illusions in paintings by the masters, but the accompanying black and white reproductions of those paintings are too dark and fuzzy to effectively illustrate the point. Regardless, Simon's work, as always, sheds a lot of light on a fascinating field. 1998 (orig. 1976), Morrow Junior Books, Ages 8 up, $15.00. Reviewer: Judy Katsh Science Magic With Shapes and Materials Books with science projects for kids are aplenty. Books with magic projects for kids are also aplenty. Science Magic combines both into one handsome book that teaches showmanship as much as it teaches science. Twelve tricks are presented for the kids with instructions on how to set them up, how to perform them, and why they work. My favorite is the Levitating Boxes Trick. Introductory notes and performing tips round out the projects. This book is big, colorful, educational and fun. 1995 (orig. 1994), Barron's, Ages 8 up, $10.95. Reviewer: Dia L. Michels Shazam! Simple Science Magic The writing team of White and Broekel has produced a magic book with an enchanting appeal. The description of each trick follows the same formula. First the trick is described, then there's a how-to and then young wizards can discover why the tricks work. 1991, Whitman, Ages 7 to 10, $12.95 and $4.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini Rebecca Heddle and Ian Keable Illustrations by Paul Sullivan, Kim Blundell and Ian Thompson I would think that magic tricks might be a popular gift in light of the popularity of the Harry Potter books at the moment. Most children have the urge to be an accomplished magician at some time in their lives. This kit, which comes complete with wand, scarf, deck of cards, dice, plastic thumb and a great book of tricks to practice, is a fabulous way to enter the profession. The directions are well illustrated and detailed. Most tricks can be executed with items found around the house. A bibliography is included, along with shops that sell supplies and societies to join that may provide further support. 1999 (orig. 1991), Usborne, Ages 8 up, $16.95. Reviewer: Barbara Youngblood Virtual Reality: Experiencing IllusionChristopher W. Baker Virtual reality (VR) may seem like magic, but it really is the result of extensive programming and computer power. In the thirty-five years since VR was developed in the labs of MIT and the University of Utah, the technology has taken quantum leaps. VR is used to simulate the real world to train soldiers and pilots. It helps architects and engineers design buildings and vehicles, and it helps those in medicine and research visualize the human body in ways never dreamed of. The entertainment industry has been an early adopter. VR games have become so sophisticated that players not only see the world they have created, but they also experience it though touch and sound and are beginning to experience smell. All of this is necessary to make the virtual world seem real. As technology and programming techniques improve, so will the worlds that computers create. Perhaps in the not too distant future, kids will share VR adventures over the Internet or in large VR theaters. 2000, Millbrook, Ages 10 up, $22.90. Reviewer: Charlie Wyman Also check out our May, 2002 Magic Feature! To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here. updated 4/30/2002
|
