Houdini's library How books created the world's greatest magician

Gr 2--5--This biography of Harry Houdini (1874--1926), born Erik Weisz, covers the basics of his life and rise to fame framed by his love of books, including where it originated and the vast collection he acquired. Houdini is the modern definition of grit, determination, ambition, and showmanship, but this bookish aspect of his life isn't nearly as well known. From his immigrant father's beloved library sold to pay the rent to learning his first magic trick from a book bought from a discount bin, Houdini's life was intertwined with books. In his desire to master magic, he bought every book on magic he could find and kept every single one. As his fame grew, so did his reputation with booksellers as he visited bookshops everywhere he went. He even had a special folding bookcase that held hundreds of books he took with him everywhere he traveled, and his home had bookcases in nearly all its 26 rooms. The more famous he became the more books he collected, to the point that he hired his own personal librarian to catalog it all. After his death it was estimated that his collection contained "fifteen thousand books, fifty thousand prints, half a million cuttings and four tons of theatrical bills." Conversational text is clear, informative, and occasionally poetic. Each of Delmar's amazing illustrations is essentially a layered 3D diorama that was photographed. Not only do they bring a very successful and unusual visual element to the story but they also adeptly support, expand, and enliven the text. Back matter includes an author's note, sources, online resources, and illustrator's note. VERDICT A visual delight and excellent take on Houdini's life through his love of books and learning. Sure to be popular with book and magic lovers plus those interested in unusual illustration styles. A must-have for most libraries.--Catherine Callegari

Anyone interested in magic has likely heard of Harry Houdini; less well known is the crucial role books played in his escapades. Born into a Hungarian rabbi's family in 1874, Erik Weisz (as he was then known) was 4 when his father sought a better life in Appleton, Wisconsin. As Rosenstock applies her considerable research to document how a poor immigrant with little formal education became a world-famous entertainer, she weaves in her subject's lifelong appreciation for and acquisition of magic books--a collection that grew to 15,000 volumes. Although Erik was devastated when job loss forced his father to sellhis library, the boy later found a secondhand magic book by Jean Robert-Houdin that inspired a career, stage name, and passion for developing his own library. Rosenstock tells a compelling and wholly original tale, accompanied by Delmar's stunning 3-D dioramas; created with cut paper and gouache, they employ multiple light sources to yield intricate interior and exterior scenes contrasting glowing illumination and shadowy depth. Miniature postcards, posters, and pages featuring diagrams depict milestones: Houdini's marriage to a circus performer, his travels across America and Europe, and his feats of escape from locked chains or submersion in water. A particularly striking composition shows repeated images of the magician swirling through light-filled strips of paper paired with the words: "Books are Harry's greatest escape. They spark imagination. They bring the past to life." Pure magic. (author's and illustrator's notes, photographs, sources)(Picture-book biography. 5-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.