Brianna Williams, 6, of Cumberland, RI, reacts with laughter to a magic trick she and Conjuring Carroll Chapman perform at Rangeley Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 20. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

RANGELEY — Giggles filled the Rangeley Public Library Children’s Room Thursday, Feb. 20. Scattered among bouts of laughter were gasps of amazement, along with a fair amount of suspicious questioning. The reason for all the ruckus in the library was magic.

Magician ‘Conjuring Carroll’ Chapman presented an interactive magic show for children ages 3 to 8. The show captured the attention and amusement of about a dozen children, and the adults who accompanied them.

Chapman, who has been in the business of magic for about 30 years, used props and the assistance of audience members to teach children about his art and using misdirection, perspective and optical illusions to make magic happen. Cleverly crafted into each trick was a lesson about emotions, feelings, reading or imagination.

Brianna Williams, 6, of Cumberland, RI, was first to assist Chapman with a trick that appeared to move a knot from one rope to another. With her assistance, and much to her delight, the two ropes became one and the knot disappeared completely.

Chapman encouraged children to read and to join a summer reading program at their library.

“I know a lot of you are from other places but those places have libraries. Go to your local library,” he said. “Libraries are the keeper of stories. I come from a long line of storytellers and stories are important.”

Chapman’s storytelling lineage goes back to Johnny Appleseed Chapman, he said. Children familiar with Johnny Appleseed reacted with amazement.

He pulled out a coloring book and told the young audience it was his favorite book. Coloring was relaxing and helped him unwind, he said, as he showed pages of uncolored clowns.

Chapman instructed children to really think about their favorite activity, their favorite foods and the best hug they have ever had. He asked them to imagine how those things made them feel. Then, the audience was told to clench those feelings tightly in their hands.

Stressing the importance of using their imagination, Chapman instructed the group to open their hands. When he opened the book again, every page had been colored.

Conjuring Carroll Chapman shows a coloring book, colored by magic and imagination, during a show at Rangeley Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 20. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

Another look at the book revealed nothing but blank pages.

In disbelief, Oliver Varney, 7, of Durham asked, “How did that happen?”

It was a question that was echoed throughout the wide-eyed audience.

“That is your imagination,” Chapman told them.

With another wave of their hands, the children were successful in assisting Chapman with restoring the coloring book to its original state.

His final trick and accompanying lesson focused on emotions and kindness. Chapman and his assistant, Vera Varney, 4, of Durham, turned two scarves, one white and one black, into a single white scarf with the imprint of a sad clown outlined in black. Chapman asked the audience what things could make the clown happy. Chapman put a brightly colored scarf into a special magic tube for each positive phrase the children called out. With the whisper of magic words, unknown to the audience, and a wave of their hands, the magicians produced a single rainbow colored scarf.

Later in the afternoon, Chapman presented Conjuring Carroll’s Wellness Wizard Workshop for older children. The workshop combined his background as a social worker with his decades-long career as an entertainer. The mission of the workshop was to help individuals discover the wellness benefits of performing arts.

As a traveling performing artist and education specialist, Chapman specializes in providing world-class entertainment to families. For more information, visit conjuringcarroll.com.

The Rangeley Public Library hosts several weekly activities for children September until April vacation. OWL Club, for children in kindergarten through second grade, meets on Thursday afternoons at 2:45 p.m. Children listen to stories, make crafts, do science experiments, play games, and just have fun while learning new things.

Preschool story hour is held on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. Children are invited to join, accompanied by an adult, for stories and other early literacy activities.

For more information about library programs, visit rangeleylibrary.org.