Automata and Mechanical Toys

No other craft so brilliantly captures the magic of turning a handle, icking a switch, or pulling a lever to see the unexpected come to life.Automata and Mechanical Toysis a book for anyone drawn to simple, entertaining mechanics. The book features 21 leading makers, each with a distinctive style. With 160 color photos and 100 delightful examples of the craft, the book is a feast for collectors and enthusiasts. A substantial section of the book is devoted to making automata mechanisms, ideal for novices or those wishing to learn new techniques. Illustrated, step-by-step instructions explain how to make a bearings box, which separately houses all the main mechanisms used in automata. The box can then be converted to any mechanism you choose. Rodney Peppe is a winner of the British Toymakers' Guild Toy of the Year Award; he has had exhibitions of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood. He is also the author ofRodney Peppe's Moving Toys.

Rodney Peppe is author-illustrator of over eighty children's books, and creator of Huxley Pig and Angelmouse for television. He was a winner of the British Toymakers' Guild 'Toy of the Year Award', the Charles Bolton Cup. He exhibits in one-man shows at venues including the V&A Museum of Childhood, the National Theatre, Cheltenham Art Gallery and the Holburne Museum, Bath. Recently his work toured England for eighteen months