Right now,
in your kitchen and just outside your front door,
are all the supplies you’ll need
to start your quest to become
a full color wizard.
In this book you will find
secret recipes, magic formulas,
and wild experiments
that will delight your friends,
intimidate your enemies, and
impress even grown-ups. But you
can handle it because . . .

A Note to Wizard Assistants
(aka the Parents and Guardians of Aspiring Wizards)

As an assistant to an aspiring wizard, it’s your job to make space for the magic to happen. So . . .
Be prepared. This book is designed so that wizards in training can start making color magic right away with materials so easy to find that some are literally falling from trees. But if you read the first page or two of each section, you’ll find helpful fundamentals like safety tips, which materials work best, and how to set up your space for successful experimenting.
Be safe. For younger, wilder, or first-time wizards, I recommend adult supervision. Protective gear is recommended, and activities that require hands-on help are marked with the one- or two-hand symbol (see Decoding the Secret Activity Symbols, p. 11). But beyond these specific notes, it’s best to set up a tool kit, workspace, and foraging area with an eye to safety, which may be of only passing interest to the fearless wizard you’re assisting.

Save your money. In support of inexpensive, DIY magic, the activities and recipes in this book call for supplies that can be found easily outdoors and in refrigerators. The one thing you might splurge on is good watercolor paper or rice paper. Really, any paper that is well made will support the complexity of natural color. To save money, you can cut large sheets of paper into small squares and have a pile of cheaper or recycled test sheets on hand.
Be adventuresome. You probably want your wizard to find what they seek, and make that perfect blue color that you saw on p. 94, all before lunchtime. But who are you to decide if an experiment is perfect? You can help your wizard follow the rules, but keep in mind that the path to real magic is not straight but winding and full of fruitful cul-de-sacs.
Take a picture. Unless you have a photographic memory, a picture can be a great way to capture these moments (and make your wizard’s friends want to join in the fun).
Give yourself permission to be imperfect. If you skip a step somewhere and wind up finger painting with the beet juice on your plate, you might have just stumbled upon some powerful magic yourself.

What Kind of Wizard Are You Today?
As you prepare for adventure, why not use this handy quiz to find out what kind of wizard you are today? Get a sheet of paper, and for each number, write down the letter that is truest about you. Then turn the page.

1. I’m happiest when . . .
Digging things up
Stirring things up
Explaining things
Heating things up
All of the above

2. My favorite tools are . . .
A shovel and an old satchel
Bottles and containers
Flags and paper airplanes
Stoves and BBQs
All of the above

3. My favorite part of myself is . . .
My feet
My spit
My dreams
My fingers
All of the above

4. My favorite question is . . .
How?
What?
Why?
When?
All of the above

5. My favorite kinds of places are . . .
Hills, caves, and piles of rock
Lakes, rivers, and mud puddles

Tree branches, bleachers, and tall buildings
Kitchens, grills, and fire pits
All of the above

6. I’ve been called . . .
Messy
Nerdy
Spacey
Rebellious
All of the above

Now Find Your Wizard Element!
If you selected . . .
Mostly ’s
You are an Earth Wizard. Earth Wizards can discover whole worlds right at their feet. Your object is the spade. Your animal is the worm.

Mostly ’s
You are an Air Wizard. Air Wizards find magic by looking up and shouting their spells into the wind. Your object is the flag. Your animal is the owl.
Mostly ’s
You are a Water Wizard. Water Wizards use all kinds of liquids to make colors and don’t mind the rain at all. Your object is the glass bottle. Your animal is the rainbow trout.

Mostly ’s
You are a Fire Wizard. Fire wizards are hard to satisfy, which is why they love to see things change, and they are a little bit dangerous. Your object is the wand. Your animal is the firefly.

Mostly ’s
You are a Rainbow Wizard. Rainbow wizards are brave, curious, and always changing. Your object is the prism. Your animal is the peacock spider.

To figure out your full wizard classification:
Add your name + the number of activities from this book you’ve completed (that’s your level number) + your favorite color. For example, you might be known as “Annie, the Level 4 Silver Earth Wizard” or “Soren, the Level 0 Purple Water Wizard.” This formula also works for wizard assistants. Ask yours. Who knows, they might surprise you by being a Level 30 White Fire Wizard Assistant. Also note that your wizard type may change from day to day or hour to hour. Then again, it might just last your whole life. If you like, note your wizard type in your notebook (see Make Your Own Wizard’s Notebook, p. 22). And as you leaf through this book, pay special attention to the activities that are marked with your wizard icon.

A Special Note to Young Wizards
Following the ancient three-step process of color wizardry, this book is divided into three sections: GATHER, TRANSFORM, and SHARE. Gather is about finding natural tools, materials, and mysterious ingredients. The activities in this section will send you searching for color in leafy forests, seaweedy beaches, berry-stained back alleys, mysterious city parks, and even the dark corners of your fridge. After gathering, you’ll learn how to transform your ingredients into color brews—from the boldest black to the palest pink. And finally, you’ll share your discoveries with friends, family, and the whole color-hungry human race.
As you go deeper into this book, you will meet some of the powerful (and often forgotten) Color Wizards of History, like the woman who figured out how to use the end of the rainbow to fix people’s eyes and cell phones (p. 104). Observant wizards will also uncover some astounding True Magic facts, like how dying stars made barns red (p. 84).
You can read each section in order, or if you prefer to forge your own path, use this guide like a cookbook and jump right into a color recipe. For independent-minded wizards who don’t mind doing a bit of fiddling, there is a universal recipe for making color (p. 54) that works with all kinds of colorful natural objects. And if you get lost, there’s also an index at the back.