Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician

A fresh and fascinating picture book biography about the iconic magician Harry Houdini, an avid book collector who lived and breathed the idea that books are magic, from the author of Caldecott Honor book The Noisy Paint Box.

Houdini is the world’s most beloved magician, and he became famous for all of the amazing tricks he accomplished. Houdini knew just how to captivate his audience, whether it was leaping from a bridge or freeing himself from a straitjacket. But in true magician’s fashion, he kept a secret so great that not many people knew about, and that was his love for books!

As a young boy in Budapest, Harry learned to read at his father’s knee. After the family emigrated to America, Harry grew up to be the amazing Houdini--but never lost his love of reading. He spent the rest of his life collecting all kinds of rare and unusual books, almost entirely about magic. With warm, inviting text and astounding art with miniature models constructed from paper, this extraordinary book opens a new page on the story of Harry Houdini.

Barb Rosenstock is the author of the Caldecott Honor Book The Noisy Paint Box, as well as many other picture books including, Vincent Can’t Sleep, Through the Window, Mornings with Monet, and Mystery of the Monarchs, a 2023 NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Title, Texas Bluebonet and a Junior Library Guild Selection. Her most recent book, The Great Lakes, recieved two starred reviews. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband, sons, and two big poodles.

Mar Delmar is a paper artist from Barcelona. She has illustrated more than 20 books, and her work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and blogs around the world like Elle Magazine, The New York Times and The Guardian. She lives in Tarragona, Spain.