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Merry Magic Go Round
A reproduction of a Victorian book. On each of six pages, scenes revolve on a wheel behind cut-outs to tell a picture story that is also recounted in a rhyming text.
- GenresFairy TalesChildrens
12 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1897
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 8, 2011
How much to do you spend to make your children happy? There are now so many high tech gadgets and games that we thought we need to buy for their happiness. Things have changed a lot since the time when we were kids. When I was small, candies inside my dad’s old socks on Christmas morning made me shrieking with happiness and having each one of them melt in my mouth was a priceless experience. When my daughter was small, intricate popup books were still expensive and I could not afford to give her one. Now, they are so many of those in the second-hand bookstores but I am not buying since my daughter is already a teenager.
However, I bought this book Merry Magic-Go-Round as it is a reproduction of the original 1897 book Merry Surprises by Ernest Nister during the Victorian era in London. This book contains five magic wheels. Each wheel depicts a scene that is described in the accompanying children’s poem. Then when you rotate the wheel, the characters in the poem appear as if by magic. The scenes and the characters are those of the Victorian era when life was all so simple and children had red full cheeks and were dressed like little princes and princesses. The illustrations were also painted using pastel colors that made them appear old and classic.
I showed the book to my daughter and she was amazed. But just by one touch on the wheel, however, she was already able to tell the trick. I knew she’d figure that out easily considering that she is a robotics hobbyist and this book is all made of papers and boards. However, she was still amazed. Much more if I give this to a 4- or 5-year old child this Christmas.
Despite the high technology gadgets and games around us, some simple things are still nice to see. They not only make us reminisce with our past when things were a lot simpler and uncomplicated. They also give us comfort that things are improving. What could be amazing today will appear mundane and passé in the next generations.
The same is true with this book. This can make a child happy today. The same way it probably made his parent, his grandparent or even great-great grandparents happy when they were kids.
I got this pristine book for only P80 or $2 last Monday and I will give this to an officemate's child as my Christmas present. As a bibliophile, I give books to children rather than the usual toys. I also read the books that I am planning to give first to make sure that they are great. Hopefully, in doing that, the books will turn them into readers like us here at Goodreads.
Like this book, some good inexpensive things still last.
However, I bought this book Merry Magic-Go-Round as it is a reproduction of the original 1897 book Merry Surprises by Ernest Nister during the Victorian era in London. This book contains five magic wheels. Each wheel depicts a scene that is described in the accompanying children’s poem. Then when you rotate the wheel, the characters in the poem appear as if by magic. The scenes and the characters are those of the Victorian era when life was all so simple and children had red full cheeks and were dressed like little princes and princesses. The illustrations were also painted using pastel colors that made them appear old and classic.
I showed the book to my daughter and she was amazed. But just by one touch on the wheel, however, she was already able to tell the trick. I knew she’d figure that out easily considering that she is a robotics hobbyist and this book is all made of papers and boards. However, she was still amazed. Much more if I give this to a 4- or 5-year old child this Christmas.
Despite the high technology gadgets and games around us, some simple things are still nice to see. They not only make us reminisce with our past when things were a lot simpler and uncomplicated. They also give us comfort that things are improving. What could be amazing today will appear mundane and passé in the next generations.
The same is true with this book. This can make a child happy today. The same way it probably made his parent, his grandparent or even great-great grandparents happy when they were kids.
I got this pristine book for only P80 or $2 last Monday and I will give this to an officemate's child as my Christmas present. As a bibliophile, I give books to children rather than the usual toys. I also read the books that I am planning to give first to make sure that they are great. Hopefully, in doing that, the books will turn them into readers like us here at Goodreads.
Like this book, some good inexpensive things still last.
October 22, 2025
2 ★ - (didn't care for it)
{Reviewed 3/29/25?} °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
A very short book, cute but again sort of meh. The first rhyme with the wheel was best verse-wise and the bubble and bedtime ones were the only ones I liked for illustrations and verse (those ones were mediocre). Unfortunately the spinning doesn't work with an ebook but I didn't mind much and mainly take away from this that I wouldn't add to my library or read again.
HOWEVER, whenever this was published 8 o'clock bedtime might have been regular or slightly late for children?? Food for thought.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Recommended for... n/a
CWs: none?
All thoughts are my own!
{Reviewed 3/29/25?} °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
A very short book, cute but again sort of meh. The first rhyme with the wheel was best verse-wise and the bubble and bedtime ones were the only ones I liked for illustrations and verse (those ones were mediocre). Unfortunately the spinning doesn't work with an ebook but I didn't mind much and mainly take away from this that I wouldn't add to my library or read again.
HOWEVER, whenever this was published 8 o'clock bedtime might have been regular or slightly late for children?? Food for thought.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Recommended for... n/a
CWs: none?
All thoughts are my own!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews