RODNEY PEPPE

Automata and mechanical toys delight children and adults alike with the beauty of their design and the excitement of their movement. This book explains how the mechanisms work and celebrates many leading makers.Topics covered:·tHistory of automata & mechanical toys including the early inventors from Hero of Alexandria, through the mechanical marvels of the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries, to contemporary automata.·tAdvice on how to get started; tools and materials required and techniques explained.·tStep-by-step instructions with clear colour photographs.

Toys and Models is a book of ideas for anyone interested in making toys, models and automata. Rodney Pepp, has combined a career as a children's author/illustrator with designing and making toys, models and automata. This combination provides the main source of the book. Exhibiting in one-man, non-selling shows, he has managed to retain most of his creations for these pages. This has enabled all the items to be photographed together and offers a rare homogeneity encompassing the various but connected aspects of his work. The book is divided into three sections: 1. Hand-cranked moving toys 2. Electric models, clocks and automata 3. Models and characters made for picture books and television. At the end of the book there are simple plans for simple items for the reader to make.

Mechanical toys transcend categories of age with their universal appeal. Whether the mechanism is hidden or revealed, simple or complex, the cycle of movement allows you to simply turn a handle and see the magic work before your eyes. Making Mechanical Toys explains how to make these wonderful and fascinating toys through a variety of bright and exciting projects. The well-known Kim game can be played with the Jungle Box where the animals appear one by one. In MIAOW! the cat never quite catches the mouse who is after the cheese. Detailed descriptions and photographs also bring to life dancing ladies, drummers, bobbing boats and a snappy little alligator clothes-peg toy in this delightful and lavish book.