KID MADE: EASILY MADE SETS FOR ACTION TOYS Bob Bottieri Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1993. galley, 48pp ISBN 0-19-540898-5 (paper) $11.95. CIP. Grades 3 to 5 / Ages 8 to 10 Reviewed by Norma Charles. Volume 21 Number 5 1993 October When action figures and dolls are advertised on television, they are often placed in sets that show what a child can imagine while playing. These environments are called Kid Made. Whatever is in the set should be within the capacity of a child to create. Artist Bob Bottieri, who has designed television commercials for action toys, has written a book in which he shares the secrets of his craft. He outlines in clear step-by-step directions how to create these sets for toys with a few readily available, inexpensive tools and materials. He describes how to use paints and various building materials to create special effects such as marble pillars and stone and brick walls and buildings. The recycling of disposable materials is demon­strated where bits and pieces of old clocks become scientific lab tools and clear plastic tape becomes stained glass windows for a castle. He outlines how to create realistic-looking castles, labs and houses. The easy-to-read instructions are illustrated with clear, no nonsense black-line drawings and a few colour photographs showing finished sets. Throughout the text, the author cautions that care must be taken with sharp tools ("ask an adult for help") and materials such as spray paints that are harmful to the environ­ment should be avoided. In the end he stresses that the key to becoming a Kid Made craft expert is "a taste for adventure and your own imagination." Recommended for purchase. Norma Charles is a teacher-librarian at Henderson Annex in Vancouver, British Columbia.