Learn the Art of MagicLearn the Art of Magic
It won't make an elephant disappear or cut someone in half, but your child may gain self confidence and esteem through Broderbund's Learn the Art of Magic. Master Magician Jay Alexander guides your child through three sections of CD-ROM sleight of hand.
The interface is easy to use and visually informative. There are two movie shorts shown for each trick. The first screen shows the trick from the audience's perspective. The second gives, through close-ups, a step-wise explanation of how each illusion works. Sadly, even multimedia falls short here-the absence of a video rewind option makes repeat viewing time consuming. Moreover, the pause option is awkward and impractical for the child concentrating on tricky maneuvers.
The CD-ROM comes with a set of six props. Because they rely on mechanical tricks rather then sleight of hand, the novice can actually get started within minutes, as the packaging claims. In fact, four to seven year olds will probably be able to achieve success very quickly. The remaining 20 tricks are not so quickly mastered. The recommended age group of eight to twelve year olds will be appropriately challenged.
Required props are all ordinary household objects (the most exotic is a thimble). None of the tricks involve the use of liquids, so your computer is not at risk! Many are the standard magic show fare which are amazingly simple to execute.
Program features include an option to print magic show advertisements and tickets. Enterprising new buskers might even be able to offset the cost of buying this CD-ROM through effective marketing!
Unfortunately, Broderbund offers up a grab bag of good and not-so-good information that is not all related to learning the tricks of the trade.
In Famous Magicians, Jay introduces famous and renowned magicians, such as Houdini, Malini and Thurston. Presentation, however, is ineffectual and the segment begs to be dropped from the program. I've assumed that its intent was to inspire budding magicians; interesting facts, however, are few and far between and surprisingly disappointing in their lack of color.
Magic Slang introduces you to the magician's vocabulary-"you can't walk the walk without talking the talk," so to speak. With such simplistic definitions as "Birdworker" (a magician who works with birds) and "Close-up Magic" (magic that is done close-up), the developers seem to underestimate the intellect of their intended audience (8-12 year olds).
For its minor flaws, this CD-ROM is far superior to the book versions of instructional magic. The dual perspective format is noteworthy in that multimedia works particularly well in delivering each trick from the audience's perspective. Jay Alexander's use of it is an attempt to inspire children to want to astound their own friends and family, and in this he may well have succeeded.
Whether your child is just mildly curious, or an overzealous potential wizard, this CD-ROM is appealing and entertaining. Because of the reasonable price, minor flaws can easily be overlooked. David Copperfield went from a shy, awkward adolescent to a world-renowned magician though the art of magic. Your child may not achieve such lofty heights, but may stand out from the crowd if he remembers the Magician's Oath, "Once is entertainment, twice is education and as a magician, you are there to entertain."
