The Book of Wizard Parties: In Which the Wizard Shares the Secrets of Creating Enchanted Gatherings [Hardcover]

Janice Eaton Kilby (Author), Marla Baggetta (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2002

“A wizard shares 600 years worth of ideas for staging a party, along with an appropriate story to tell guests for each occasion....Craft and food ideas usually have some magical twist...decorations, games, food, songs, and stories are described in great detail...the ultimate, over-the-top, party idea book.” —School Library Journal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A Chinese Dragon Fete, Springtime Fairy Frolic and an Egyptian Summer Solstice Party are just a few of the activities in The Book of Wizard Parties: In Which the Wizard Shares the Secrets of Creating Enchanted Gatherings by Janice Eaton Kilby and Terry Taylor, illus. by Marla Baggetta. A cushioned cover and a purple satin placeholder add to the fancy package of this sequel to Book of Wizard Crafts. All ages.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-A wizard shares 600 years worth of ideas for staging a party, along with an appropriate story to tell guests for each occasion. Themes include spring, winter, Chinese New Year, Halloween, and summer solstice, as well as generic parties for "alchemists," and Merlin and Aladdin fanciers. Many of the festivities require involved and not inexpensive materials. Craft and food ideas usually have some magical (usually chemical reactive) twist. The decorations, games, food, songs, and stories are described in great detail, and readers are advised when to seek help from an adult. The text is superimposed on splashes and swirls of color, and the illustrations are decorative as well as instructional. This is the ultimate, over-the-top, party idea book for well-off, bored middle schoolers who may be lured by the Harry Potteresque motifs.
Cathie Reed, The Montessori School, Lutherville, MD
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books; 1 edition (May 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579902928
• ISBN-13: 978-1579902926
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,293,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Party On(?), September 13, 2002

By 

Rune reader "runewright" (AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Wizard Parties: In Which the Wizard Shares the Secrets of Creating Enchanted Gatherings (Hardcover)

This book has eight "Magical" themed parties including an Alchemist's Gathering and an Egyptian Summer Solstice Party. It gives suggestions for costumes, decorations, food and activities. It also includes a story to go along with each theme.

I give a LOT of children's parties, most of which include storytelling and crafts. I purchased the book because the kids absolutely loved the ideas in the Book of Wizard Craft by the same authors (which, by the way, I used at several parties in the last year). This one falls short of the Craft book on several counts:

While using the same format as the Book of Wizard Craft, this volume has less substance and more fluff. Many of the activities appeared in more complete form the Craft book. The stories are not as well developed and the art is poor.

The illustrator, Marla Baggetta, tried to copy Lindy Burnett's style for this volume, but fell short of the freshness and vitality of the illustrations in the Craft book. Double-page spreads for each theme do nothing but act as filler, as does the same wizard's robe which appears in each section and then again in the back of the book with only slight variations in decoration.

The wizard "author" mentions in the introduction that it took 600 years to write the Craft book. It's pretty obvious that it didn't take the authors nearly that long to throw together the Party book. If you are specifically looking for ideas for use at a party you might find this book useful. If you are looking for ways to entertain elementary school children for an afternoon or several weeks, purchase the Wizard Craft book.