I never bought this in the beginning of my magic years because I didn't do kids shows, but once I started getting into children's parties and such, I jumped up and picked one of these up.

The Gimmick--------->

The gimmick is quite simple when you think about it, but it works. I personally love it, it automatically resets, and can be done anywhere at anytime (provided you have it on you).

The thing about the gimmick is you don't have to in the order specified. Instead of going from blank, to outline to coloured in, you can go from coloured in, to outlined to blank. Or blank to coloured in. If you have a good story line, anything is possible with this wonderful book!

One thing about the one that I have, is that when I'm showing the pictures to be coloured in, not all of the pages show it. It may just be mine, but that lost a point in the durability section.

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Whether performing for adults, teenagers or children, this is a great buy, but be careful where it is in your routine or it won't play as big. I perform this to adults a lot and they always get a good laugh at the pictures magically coloring themselves.

The one "move" that is required isn't noticeable even by the spectators. I remember being very parnoid about them noticing what I was doing, but if you act casual, they will just enjoy the trick!

Mitchell

Totally agree. I still list this as the best Magic buy available...and a stunning trick. It is really startling and amazing the first time you see it. And that first time is the time you need to remember as it is the only time you will actually experience what your spectator will. Yes for adults too...not many things out there with the impact for the money.

If you can get the BLANK book as well to match. Have it in a paper bag. After doing the gimmick book put it in the bag but interupt your self and pull out the Blank for an impromptu inspection. Jaws drop.

Doug

I combine the Magic Coloring book with my disappearing crayons They work very well together.

One of my workers for kids parties . . . I use a magic wand to "paint" the pages. The nice thing is that the wand is a perfect misdirection for switching the book.

I like to go from outline to colored to blank (Magician in trouble)when they help me "remove" the colors. then they have to help put the outlines back in -- does anyone know if an ungaffed book with the outlines, not blank, is available?

This was my very first trick I bought at a magic shop a long time ago...When I use it, I get kids to pull colours off the walls with their hands (imangiary colours) and throw them at the book.
Eric

YES, I AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love using the book with kids show and touching the crayons to the book each time I change it. I talk about knowing people, you have to look at the real person. If they don't know its a great trick and if they have it even a bigger surprise when the crayons change. that's when I say you can learn something new from everyone.

Jerry

You don't need to switch the book. Kids don't care. I have had kids say that they have one of those books too. I just wink and tell them we can have some fun. They always go along.

It's the journey, not the destination that matters to kids.
James

Here's a tip on handling, (if you haven't figured it out already): If you show the book in whatever state you want, then remove your right hand, (the hand that flips through the book), make a casual gesture while talking and then put your hand back in the proper place to perform the next change, you will lessen the chance of any observant child or adult noticing you moving your hand to a different location prior to each change. It appears that you're just putting your hand casually at any place to flip through the book. Some will even recall that you put your hand back in the same spot; thereby eliminating the successful reconstruction of the trick. It's excruciatingly simple; but it plays HUGE.

They come in different sizes, too; so you can work in a way to magically shrink or enlarge your coloring book; making the magic even more magical!

There are many ways to expand the playing time on this trick by magically obtaining the colors that cause the book to color itself or, as others have mentioned here, using the classic "Magician In Trouble" handling. Also as mentioned here, you can use Vanishing Crayons with the trick, you can "gather" colors from around the room, including the clothes of the kids you are performing for or you could have the kids call out their favorite colors.

When the kids shout or "throw" the colors at you, you could reach up, "grabbing" the colors from the air and placing them in your fist. You can then produce a 3 or 6 foot rainbow-colored streamer from your fist, (same old method as vanishing or producing a silk). Take that streamer, placing it in the coloring book, (and secretly using your favorite vanishing method to secretly steal it away). Flip the coloring book open to show the colors in the book and the streamer gone.

Or, one idea for the "Magician In Trouble" performance is that you can show the kids how nicely you've colored the pictures. Be very proud, but warn the kids that if they're too loud or if they perform some other function of your choosing, the pictures erase. They'll LOVE that and they'll respond. Show the colors gone, but the pictures still there. Desperately tell them to stop before EVERYTHING disappears. They'll go crazy. Show the pictures gone. Put the trick down, (when the noise dies down), and go to another trick. Either perform the trick and go back to the coloring book or stop at the beginning and say how sad you are that all that color has been erased from your coloring book. Ask if they'll help you put it back. Have them try to remember one of the pictures and have everyone draw in the air with their fingers. Show the uncolored images and congratulate the kids on their magic skill. Then you can "gather" the colors as I mentioned above and populate the pictures with the colors. After that, you can tell the kids you have some color left over and "give" it back to them. You can then produce and distribute, (I throw), colorful candy OR you can use a method of showering the kids with colorful confetti.

Either as a quick, fun trick or part of a more elaborate routine, the Magic Coloring Book is an absolute gem! Enjoy it!

If you like the Magic Coloring Book, get the Tenyo version. It is the best and it looks just like a kids coloring book with the latest cartoon movie theme. THe best thing is that it is made of very high quality paper that will last you a lifetime of use

For a really superb presentation of the Coloring Book, look at "Seriously Silly" by David Kaye.

Where is this availble and what is the name of it?

Eric

I do this all the time for kids shows. The kids and adults all love it and it looks like real magic. There's a pocket version for walk around magic too.

I once found a 6 way book on E-bay. If you find it buy it - double the fun. It goes from blank to words (nursery ryhmes) to illustrated to coloured but messily to coloured neatly but with wrong colours (i.e. purple face, green hair) to coloured neatly.

For my first (and only) kid's show many years ago, I made my own version out of heavy black paper and coloured sticky dots. On the front cover I formed an "M" out of the same dots.

I showed the book empty then asked the kids to help me by drawing a circle in the air (even getting the adults at the back to join in). Next I asked them to colour their dots in (but they only had a choice of four colours....). Lastly, they were to pluck their dots out of the air and throw them (on the count of three) at the book. They all did so and I moved the book as though it had been hit by countless invisible dots!

To finish, I'd show how well they did by flicking through the book showing their coloured dots covering the pages. It went down a treat - shame the rest of the show went downhill...

One thing I always wanted to do with it was to have a handful (inside a vanishing silk gimmick...) of dots stuck back to back and, having shown the book full of dots, shake it vigorously - allowing the dots to physically fall to the floor. I'd then show the book blank and have the kids "repair" it.

Great fun.

Ah! The Colouring Book! Every Most Magicians do it. Presentation is everything. I am still surprised that more people do not say I've seen that before. My presentation is a bit different. Maybe that helps. I remember the first time I saw it. I thought, This is So Cool! So Keep Rocking with the Colouring Book. It is one of My Favourites! Cheers!