This beautiful book draws on Robert Race's extensive collection of
traditional moving toys, looking at the ways the makers have achieved
remarkable and varied results, often with very limited resources. Each
chapter begins by looking at the mechanisms and materials used in some
of these traditional moving toys, goes on to consider possible
variations, and describes how to make a related moving toy. It
continues, from this basis, to develop a design for an automaton. The
book shows that designing and making these simple but wonderfully
satisfying mechanical devices is fun, and that good results can be
achieved in many different ways, using a variety of materials, tools and
equipment such as wood and wire, card and paper, bamboo, string, tin
plate and feathers.