The War of the Wizards: A Magical Hologram Book - Hardcover

Wyllie, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803716907 ISBN 13: 9780803716902

Publisher: Dial, 1994

Synopsis

Two wizards compete for the townspeople's business, until their brewing rivalry unites their magical powers in the same laboratory. Includes holograms.

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 4-A less-than-spellbinding picture book featuring small, die-cut holes; blurry, dim holograms; and a perfunctory story line. Karazool commands the genie in his crystal ball to turn his business rival, Andros, into a bat for three days. Andros retaliates by having the goblin in his magic mirror change Karazool into a hairy spider for a spell. The battle escalates until the two wizards simultaneously send each other to "inner earth" where, predictably, at the instigation of the genie and goblin, they form a partnership. Heller depicts Karazool and Andros in conventional flowing gowns and beards, with pointed ears and upswept eyebrows; the magical creatures leer or glare in a comical rather than threatening way. A flash in the pan next to Ed Emberley's Wizard of Op (Little, 1975; o.p.).
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Like a movie carried by its special effects, this picture book may not offer much in the way of an original story line, but its visuals are positively compelling. When a pair of foolish rival wizards engage in a battle of spiteful tricks to put each other out of business, their spells backfire and they find themselves simultaneously banished to inner earth. Their servants of magic-a genie and a goblin-agree to release them only on condition that they end their feuding. Mystical twilight hues of plum, sapphire and emerald lend an appropriately eerie cast to Heller's artwork, but the centerpiece of these spreads are holograms. As in Wyllie's Ghost Train, the holograms get extra milage from the use of die-cut windows on otherwise unadorned pages. The 3-D impressions of the genie in the crystal ball, the goblin in the mirror (with a bat and a spider thrown in for good measure) will keep readers riveted. Call it high concept, call it gimmicky, but kids will likely call it awesome. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dial
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803716907
• ISBN 13: 9780803716902
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 24