A combination 'I Can Read' and magic trick book is, unfortunately, not a particularly interesting example of the former, and there are many better examples of the latter.

Most of the magic tricks presented here are easily understood and appear to be simple to learn and to execute with ample practice. Disappearing coins, rope tricks, a genie in a bottle, and many others provide interesting stunts to amaze and mystify one's friends. While Dorros' watercolor drawings are more visually appealing than those in the original edition, they do not provide in-depth, step-by-step details of the magic techniques that some readers may need. The illustrations feature nameless, nondescript children and minorities are simply tinted a little darker and given either curly hair or different-shaped eyes. Readers may be momentarily confused by the description of the secret accompanying the ``Magic Hand'' until they realize the illustration holds the secret, not the text. Slight changes have been made in this edition to eliminate potential safety hazards to young readers. On the whole, this is more difficult than some books in the series, but it will find a large audience among emerging readers who want an easy, interactive text about magic. --Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IA