Walter Wick's Optical Tricks: 10th Anniversary Edition

From the creator of the I Spy books and the award-winning, irresistibly aquatic A Drop of Water comes Walter Wick's Optical Tricks. Optical illusions abound in Wick's stunning color photographs--tricking the brain into pursuing phantom images. In the opening spread, entitled "First Impressions," we see a white glob of smashed clay, with sunken impressions of objects such as buttons, screws, and chess pieces. But when you turn the page upside down, the clay impressions seem to pop out! In the second spread, "Mirror Magic," you see a collection of objects such as a billiard ball, a die, and a wooden block in the shape of the number 4. The billiard ball, also a number 4, is reflected backward in the mirror, but the block number 4 is not. Why not? Fortunately, readers can flip to the back of the book, where Wick explains the illusions in his refreshingly straightforward and concise manner.

Brilliantly composed photographs of simple props, expert lighting, and myriad mirrors baffle us page after page: a "Tricky Triangle" that has a peculiar twist; a bogus box; Escher-like visual deceptions; and more. Wick explains, "As much as possible, the photographs are designed to challenge readers to compare true perceptions (the objects as they really exist) with false perceptions (the illusions) as a way to cultivate visual logic skills and to sharpen powers of observation." This visually maddening, mind-bending book will challenge and entertain even the keenest young observers. Is it all smoke and mirrors? Most certainly. (Ages 7 and older) --Karin Snelson