This engaging picture book of the world’s most famous magician also affirms the magic of  books, reinvention, and determination. Author Barb Rosenstock relates the story of Harry Houdini’s life and his passionate connection to the written word. This love of literacy was inherited from his father, a rabbi whose impressive library was sadly diminished and sold when the family fell upon hard times after emigrating to the United States from Hungary.  Rosenstock posits that books and Houdini’s reverence for them, are precisely what helped Harry become the world’s greatest illusionist.

As a self-educated lover of knowledge, Houdini’s every escapade is tied back to his desire to learn and his devotion to collecting volumes “thick and thin, small and tall, older and newer.” Keys serve as both a visual and literary theme, appearing on the endpapers and throughout the story to symbolize how books unlock knowledge.

The narrative brings Houdini’s era to life alongside stunning illustrations made from incredibly detailed, three-dimensional miniature paper scenes that match the text’s dynamism. Back matter includes an author’s note on the vast breadth of Houdini’s real-life collection and an illustrator’s note explaining the deep historical research required to create the artwork.

Highly recommended for public and elementary school libraries.