Dedicated to the celebrated novelist Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849), this work is written in the form of a novel for young people in which the scientific principles underlying many games and toys are explained to two children. Various chemical phenomena are discussed. This is a fundamental work in the history of cinema and the concept of the motion picture; the first chapter of the third volume describes a thaumatrope: i.e., a device that demonstrates the principle of the persistence of vision. This constitutes the first mention of the concept of the modern motion picture.

Woodcuts by George Cruikshank (1792–1878) are present throughout the three volumes. This well-received work passed through nine editions (last: London, 1861). This volume's covers, front matter, and select illustrations are digitized.