Throughout, Abbott offers outstanding, commercial routines and If you're considering the purchase of a Bill Abbott DVD for kids, this is the one to get. comprehensive instruction and the two-disc set is a great value.
Kid-Friendly Close-up
"Close-Up For Kids” begins with Abbott's sponge balls routine which is much like the standard one that most magicians perform. But it's still a great effect to perform for youngsters. Here, Abbott teaches a great vanish.I was surprised by the number of card effects that Abbott performs for kids, even very young ones. I liked The Shadow, a three-phase routine where a card changes from one card into another by passing one's hand over it. This one uses fundamental sleights that all card workers will already know and is not difficult to perform. And if you don't know the sleights, Abbott teaches them to you.
The Autograph is a great card-to-wallet with an autograph theme that appeals to kids and leaves them with a souvenir. Here, Abbott teaches a useful and easy card control and relies on a type of loading wallet that doesn’t require palming. The Ninja Card Trick is a classic card stab with a paper bag where Abbott employs a miniature ninja sword. This one is excellent, but I'm not sure about carrying and using a sharp object, in this case, a themed letter opener, in family strolling gigs.
Get the Picture
An effect that leaves a spectator with a business card, The Mental Photograph causes the image of a selected playing card to mysteriously appear on your card. Edwin Alonzo Boyd, apparently named after a real Canadian criminal despite the resemblance to the name of a popular magician, tells the story of a criminal and how he broke out of jail. A photograph of the criminal in jail that's carefully wrapped in paper turns into a photograph with the criminal’s portrait torn out.The Great Game offers a seemingly random contest where a kid selects a card and wins a prize that's written on the back of it. While the selection looks fair, everything has been predetermined in advance. This routine offers lots of possibilities.
In a Flash and Card on My Mind
Abbott's closer is Flash, a variation on "ashes to palm." In this version, he shows how he carries around his dead dog's ashes and the fact that you never know where the playful dog may end up. As in all of Abbott's effects, he offers careful scripting and planning that has to be the result of countless performances. Just one cautionary note, the routine relies on fire and flash paper. Abbott simplifies classic Card on Forehead so it appeal more to kids. Like the sponge ball routine, this one is fairly standard, but demonstrates how Abbott puts the effect to great use.Stand-Up for Kids
The second disc is basically a new and revised version of Abbott’s excellent "Stand-Up Magic for Kids" which we reviewed earlier (please click here to read about the routines, which include: The Sponge Snack, The Thing and Chico The Mind Reader). As we mentioned in our earlier review, each of the three routines on the second disc are big audience pleasers. The disc also comes with extras that were not on the original disc including Abbott's television performances of many of the effects.If you already own both discs: "Close-up Magic for Kids" and "Stand-Up Magic for Kids," there's little reason to purchase this deluxe set. But if you only own one or you haven’t yet discovered the joys of Abbott's work, you'll find lots to like. And if you've been considering purchasing one of his discs, the two-disc set is only five bucks more.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
MSRP: (US) $40
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Dealers can purchase from Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
