FROM THE PUBLISHER

A 600-year-old wizard has spent several centuries writing down and illustrating his experiences in a secret manuscript. Discover his magical recipes and make more than 50 wizardly items, including clothes, tools, potions, party and room decorations, games, and tall tales and legends.

SYNOPSIS

"Narrated by a 600-year-old wizard, this collection of 50 crafts...include sewing a wizard's robe, making crystal candy and learning to read tea leaves."—Publishers Weekly "Fans of all that is wizardly will love this one."—School Library Journal

"Lavishly illustrated throughout . . . the first of its kind, a fabulous fantasy and a how-to crafts book in one."—Hobby Merchandiser.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

While Hogwarts wannabes await Harry Potter V, they can pass the time with The Book of Wizard Craft by Janice Eaton Kilby, Deborah Morgenthal and Terry Taylor, illus. by Lindy Burnett. Narrated by a 600-year-old wizard, this collection of 50 crafts goes beyond glitter and tissue paper projects, to include sewing a wizard's robe, making crystal candy and learning to read tea leaves. Between projects, kids can read stories of Celtic Shape Shifters and of King Arthur. ( Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

If you have a would-be wizard at your house, this could prove to be a handy book to have around. There are instructions for Wizard Regalia (hats, feather turbans, robes, pendants, and so forth), items to decorate a wizard's house or room, horticulture arts (fairy circles are nice), and animal husbandry with instructions for your own apothecary. There are also instructions for making secret journals with black or invisible ink. Wizards can learn to make Dragon Blood and a Fizzing Phantom Potion. Each chapter includes stories of famous ghosts, wizards, unusual creatures, herbs, and assorted facts about astronomy. The grand finale is a wizard's party-plan, complete with recipes for special dishes such as bat wings, petrified tree cookies and crystal candy. Templates for various projects are enclosed for the reader's convenience. This is a book to keep a young person entertained for many days. 2001, Lark Books, $19.95. Ages 7 to 13. Reviewer:Barbara Youngblood

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Using the text as a guide, budding wizards can cook up potions and lotions of every sort. Apprentices are guided through eight chapters of projects dedicated to furthering various arts, such as horticulture, animal husbandry, and alchemy. Written as though an old wizard dictated the projects to his scribes, the book will delight readers. The "Shrunken Mandrake Heads" and "Kraken Slime" are sure to become favorites. In an introduction, readers are cautioned to use common sense and told not to drink or eat the potions. A black-and-red spider graphic indicates projects that require adult supervision. Instructions are clearly written and easy to follow. However, supplies may require a shopping trip ahead of time-not everything needed is necessarily a pantry item. Burnett does a fantastic job of bringing these projects to life with colorful illustrations-most decorative, some instructive-on every page. Fans of all that is wizardly will love this one.-Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.