This would be "Shadow Magic".

Essentially, it's a light-sensitive screen that you hang on your wall (or door), and capture shadows with. Santa brought this for Ethan for Christmas.

Silly Santa.

Now, Ethan didn't get around to actually playing with this toy until tonight. He was much too caught up with all his new Thomas the Train junk to even THINK about playing with his other stuff. So tonight was the night.

First - I want you all to realize that I am typing this post in a semi-blind state. That's what happens when you give your five year old child a strobe-like device with STRICT INSTRUCTIONS to NEVER flash it in someone's face. ***FLASH*** "I'M BLIND!!" (that's what I yelped as I fell over Avery). So she started crying 'cause I landed on her.

OK. I blinked thru the initial spots blocking my vision and crawled off my 2 year old. Grabbed the little flashy thing from Ethan and started over:

"Ok. DON'T!! I repeat ... DON'T flash this in ANYONE'S eyes EVER again!!! Did you just see Mommy squash Avery?! DON'T DO IT AGAIN!"

"yes mommy"

"All right... now then. What you do - is stand in front of your green screen, and FACE THE WALL"

So he did. I flipped off the overhead light, aimed the flashy thing at my son (since his back was to me), and zapped him.

Avery shrieked. "LIGHT!! LIGHT OWWWW!!!"

oh crap. I just blinded the baby. Ethan in the meantime, turned around to look at me to make sure that I saw his shadow was imprinted on the screen (which it was), just as Avery plowed into him in her blind dash from the room. Ethan & Avery bounced heads, started crying and both fell in to me. I staggered sideways, and as I tried to catch myself against the wall, managed to flash myself FULL FORCE with the damn light zapper. I also landed on Ethan's "Cranky Crane", which I then had to pry out of my butt. Real nice. No wonder it's called "Cranky" Now I'm cranky.

I'm also blind. I think Avery is too. She keeps trying to grab the little spots that are floating around in her partial vision. See that illustration in the third bubble? Notice it says "Arrggghh??" I think it's a subliminal hint to prospective buyers.

The Shadow Blaster is neatly packed away in the closet until his father gets home. I'll let my son blind him. It'll be payback for him being gone.

All in all, I give this toy FOUR STARS for actually doing what it is supposed to do....and ONE STAR because it frickin' blinded me.

and this concludes, Norman's toy review