The Painted Circus

Posted by Elizabeth Yetter Feb 22, 2008

I remember my first childhood book of geometric illusions. I would sit in my room and stare at the plain, black and white images until my head was near to exploding. Since then, other books have entered my visual illusions book collection, including the Magic Eye series.

The Painted Circus (Kids Can Press, ISBN-10: 1-55337-720-6), written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards, is the latest book to enter my collection. Written for children of all ages, this picture book is filled with 22 illusions, and features P.T. Vermin, the mouse ringleader. Children enter a world of magic and the wonders of a circus of optical illusions. Using only their eyes, they get to make things move on the page, find hidden images, and puzzle over geometric trickery.

Wallace Edwards, author of The Extinct Files, knows how to wow an audience. Both of my children and I have spent hours staring at the pictures in The Painted Circus, seeing new things each time we examine the pages. This is a great book to use for teaching children about the wonders of optical illusions and it’s perfect for those “Mommy, I’m bored” moments when nothing else seems to interest the kids.Enter a world of visual trickery and geometric illusions with Wallace Edwards’ latest book.