From balloon-request@cvs.rochester.edu Sun Apr 16 18:23:00 1995 Received: from swift.cvs.rochester.edu by mother.ent.rochester.edu with SMTP id AA08139 (5.65/IDA-1.4.4 for /usr/local/lib/lists/balloon.archive); Sun, 16 Apr 1995 18:23:00 -0400 Received: by cvs.rochester.edu (4.1/MAIN-MX-1.4.3.2) id AA24986; Sun, 16 Apr 95 18:12:01 EDT Resent-Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 17:11:32 -0500 Old-Return-Path: Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 17:11:32 -0500 Message-Id: <199504162211.AA03385@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: balloon@cvs.rochester.edu From: Mark Balzer Subject: More Balloon Book Reviews Resent-Message-Id: <"t3xNx2.0.M66.mOPal"@swift.cvs.rochester.edu> Resent-From: balloon@cvs.rochester.edu X-Mailing-List: archive/latest/150 X-Loop: balloon@cvs.rochester.edu Precedence: list Resent-Sender: balloon-request@cvs.rochester.edu Here are three more reviews of balloon books that I got from the library. I encourage everyone to write up any books that they own so that we can add the reviews to the FAQ. Or feel free to send me a book; I'll review it and mail it right back to you. ******************************* TITLE: Manual of balloon modeling / by Val Andrews, with diagrams and cover design by the author. PUBL.: New York : Magico Magazine, FORMAT: v. : ill. ; 24 cm. DATE: 1981 SUBJECT: Balloon sculpture--Juvenile literature. Balloon sculpture. LANGUAGE: ENGLISH CONTENTS: v.1. An encyclopedic series. NOTES: On title page verso: "Clip art decor by Ed Harris". On cover: "Includes clown material". RID #: ocm22286891 I do not recommend this book. It starts off with an interesting half page of balloon twisting history, but immediately goes downhill. Andrews presents two 2-handed methods of knot tying that are vastly inferior to the simple wrap-around-and-roll-off-the-index-finger method that we all use. He presents a handful of large figures made from multiple balloons with a minimal amount of twisting, and they are all VERY basic, and very ugly. I don't know what Andrews is thinking when he seriously recommends that you partially fill a round balloon with water and hold it over your head as an apple in a William Tell routine; his advice is "...let a kid fire a comedy pistol at it. Burst the balloon so that the water falls on your head". But better (worse?) is when he writes "I will outline several brand new ideas... any one of which is worth many times the price of this book to an intelligent worker.... (Start a) Balloon Health Club. Inflating balloons is good for the lungs as it promotes deep breathing if done correctly.... offer to give classes in balloon modeling ... in order to encourage the promotion of better health and more correct breathing." Methinks that as an author, Val Andrews could help us all by holding his breath... permanently. ************************************ TITLE: Balloon fun : easy to follow step-by-step instructions. PUBL.: Lincolnwood, Ill. : Publications International, FORMAT: 64 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm. DATE: 1988 SUBJECT: Balloon sculpture. ISBN: 0881765813 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NOTES: "Douglas Wilson...designed the balloon sculptures found on pages 4-49.... Lori Noelle...designed the balloon sculptures found on pages 60-64." Cover title. RID #: ocm24229333 The cover says that this book comes with a pump and 50 balloons, all for $12.95. I like this beginner level book - nice 8 1/2" X 11" inch pages that lay flat, and being printed in full color allows you to really see the details. It contains some one balloon and some multiple balloon creations including a Big-Bird - all made from 260's (except for an apple and a lemon used to complete their bowl of ballon fruit.) The balloon hot-dog in a bun with condiments is very clever. The authors describe the braided turban hat on the cover of T. Myers' catalog, and I really like their mouse hat and their rabbit hat, nose and carrot (great for an Easter bunny costume). *********************************** TITLE: Roger's rubber ark : one balloon zoo, vol. two by Roger Siegel. PUBL.: Chicago : Magic, Inc., FORMAT: 72 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. DATE: 1971 SUBJECT: Balloons in art LANGUAGE: ENGLISH RID #: ocm03437286 This is a sequel to Jim Davis' One Balloon Zoo, and follows that format closely. I like this book because Siegel takes the time (3 pages!) to explain exactly how to make a realistic looking elephant trunk (and a fourth page for the rest of the elephant)! I also liked his elephant standing on a ball, dog playing with a ball, moose head on a plaque and seal balancing a ball. He presents 62 simple animals, and though I make more complex (and better looking) versions of many of them, Roger Siegel's are all well presented and a good start for the post-beginner modeller looking to quickly expand his repertoire. There are a few pages of funny one liners, a little routine and some sound balloon advice included at the end of this book. Mark o _/ \_