Review by Booklist Review
Who hasn't wanted to be a magician or at least know how they do their tricks? This slim volume invites readers to learn 13 tricks, starting with the simplest and moving on to a few that take some real sleight-of-hand skill. Most of the tricks will look familiar (finding an object under one of three cups, making a coin disappear) and appealing to try out. The book gets high marks not just for the tricks chosen but for the thoughtful design, which shows step-by-step how the tricks are done in color photographs and written directions that are clear and easy to understand. Also noteworthy are the credentials of the author: Zenon is a real magician who has performed in Las Vegas, Hollywood's famous Magic Castle, and even on TV. The one thing that could have been stressed more is how much practice some of the tricks will take, especially for any kid who is, well, a klutz. Solid back matter includes a glossary, a list of places to find out more about magic, and a bibliography.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-Gimmicks describes tricks involving prepared props such as fake fingertips, nail writers (tiny pens or pencils that attach to the user's thumbnail), "a pull" (in which props are pulled away by strings), bending things, and setting up card decks. Magic involves performances that use props to create the pretense of mind-reading. Sleight includes easier routines than those in Gimmicks, outlining procedures for three-cup switch, disappearing coins, and card illusions. In all of the books, detailed descriptions of the tricks are accompanied by suggestions for possible dialogue with the audience and the actual mechanics of the maneuvers. These books are for avid readers who can learn from descriptions, as the color photographs accompanying each trick are not so helpful. Jon Tremaine's Amazing Book of Magic and Card Tricks (Quadrillion, 1998) has a better blend of text and illustration, though some of its content (a section on how to use fortune-telling to predict one's future lover) makes it more appropriate for an older audience.-Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
