Amazon.com 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 From Publishers Weekly Wick (photographer of the I Spy books) reaches into his bag of photography tricks and pulls out surprises galore: his baker's dozen of fascinating illusions will stump readers of every age. Nothing is quite what it seems?images that appear indented in clay suddenly pop out in relief when the page is turned upside-down; a handful of fish multiplies into an endless school through the clever use of mirrors; the middle of three columns in a structure seems to disappear somewhere between base and ceiling. Crisply photographed and composed in largely primary colors， the images pack a nifty one-two punch. Best yet， Wick generously reveals the tricks of his trade at the end， explaining the difference between true and false perceptions and showing how， for example， he created the illusion titled "In Suspense" by placing halves of objects on a mirror to make them appear as wholes， floating in space. Part M.C. Escher， part "Magic Eye，" but wholly original in their presentation， these irresistible puzzles are nothing short of visual catnip. Ages 7-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews