Throw A Wizard Party!

Tired of those stale birthday parties? Why not try a Springtime Fairy Frolic, an Egyptian Summer Solstice Party, a Druid Halloween Gathering or a Chinese Dragon Fete?

Sound complicated? A seasoned, 600-year-old wizard breaks it down for you step-by-step in The Book of Wizard Parties: In Which the Wizard Shares the Secrets of Creating Enchanted Gatherings. Written by Janice Eaton Kilby and Terry Taylor, with illustrations by Marla Baggetta, this book puts an imaginative spin on get-togethers, birthday parties, holiday events, or just that typical boring afternoon.

The book, a sequel to the “Book of Wizard Craft”, offers party-proof crafts, games, and instructions for making potions to impress your child's wizardly friends. The book also includes classic magical tales for storytelling time, such “King Arthur and Sword in the Stone” and “Ali Baba and the Fourty Thieves.”

Your child, with a little adult wizard supervision, can follow the directions to make all the basic wizard gear she'll need for the party-- a robe, a wand, a staff and a hat. There are also activities for reading palms, making a personalized Coat of Arms, and whipping up some Fairy Rose Water for overnight guests to put under their pillow.

Not only is this fantastic fodder for the imagination, but the recipes for potion (using baking soda and other ingredients) serve as a great introduction to chemistry. Other experiments, like Singing Spoons (hot spoons on dry ice) teach kids about cause and effect. There's even a page which teaches kids about real herbs and flowers, and their magical potential.

To complete the party atmosphere, our wizard narrator shares yummy recipes for feasting, like Bubbling Elixir of Life Layer Cake, Dragon Cookies Lavender Lemonade and Lady of the Lake Spicy Cider (the same elixir that was used to bring back Merlin's failing health after imprisonment).

This book is a great resource for parents when the party planning gets tough, and a great read for kids during pretend play, because let's face it: everyone, young and old, loves a little bit of magic.

The Book of Wizard Parties by Janice Eaton Kilby and Terry Taylor (Lark Books, 2002)

Ages 4 and up

Price: $19.95

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