The Painted Circus by Wallace Edwards.

What could be better than a picture book filled with all sorts of optical illusions?  Not much in the eyes of my two sons!  This was one that I almost had to sneak out of the house under dark of night to return it to the library.  It spent many days as the book of choice for both boys (ages 6 and 10). 

Author Wallace has created a spectacle of a circus in his picture book where the circus is used as the framing tool for each optical illusion.  There is no real story in the book, just one act after the other, each showcasing an illusion.  It is great fun!  You will see optical illusions that you are already familiar with, but several of them were new to me.  What is best about the book is that some of the illusions are easy to see and understand while others take a bit of time, some eye crossing and a bit of neck twisting to see. 

Highly recommended for public libraries, this is rather like a book with movable parts without the hassle of flaps and pop-ups which break and tear.  It will be happily browsed through by anyone in elementary school and calls out to be shared with everyone in the room or in one’s class.