The secret, magic formula

He turns iced tea into a tarantula, and makes live snakes appear out of thin air.

All while getting kids enthused about reading.

He’s Indiana John — also known as animal magic performer John Abrams.

Abrams is a regular fixture at local libraries, and will appear at the Central Library on Jan. 21 with his latest act, “Animal Magic Show of Doom!”

The show is appropriate for kids ages 4 and older, and features action, adventure, animals and magic with a message.

“Everybody loves my chinchilla named Chili,” Abrams said. “I make him appear out of a pan of fire, and all the kids ask why he isn’t burned. They love him because he’s so cute and furry. During the show, some of the kids get to rub noses with him. Older kids love the tarantula or the snake, depending on what show I’m doing.”

All of the animals Abrams uses are his personal pets, he said, and they live in his home.

He grew up in a household that bred and trained dogs, so the aptitude is lifelong.

“The main thing I try to do is to find animals that do interesting things in their own natural circumstances,” he said.

“For example, the chinchilla loves running around in little tubes, so I have him jump into a tube during the show, just as he would normally do. I use their natural circumstances and make them look famous. They’re as close to the natural environment as they can be.”

The Orange County resident performs his shows all over the Southland, completing 412 last year alone — a very different lifestyle from that of a little more than a decade ago.

“In 1998, I was a struggling actor with a wife and a kid, and one on the way,” Abrams said.

He was working part time for a magician when he and his wife, seeking opportunities to make ends meet, realized they could put magic and animals together for a unique show.

“It’s really a force to be reckoned with,” Abrams said of the combination. “Literally within a year, we were dominating the library system, and a lot of the school systems. And I was performing for a living, something that I always dreamed about.”

Kids leave Abrams’ shows with a desire to read, he said.

“The theme is that you can be whatever you want to be, with the magic of reading,” he said. “After the library shows, the kids literally run to go get books. I have kind of a secret formula to get kids to read.”

But Abrams was surprised by his legacy with the kids.

“Believe it or not, even through all the animals and the magic and all that, I’m most remembered for the comedy,” Abrams said.

It seems he don’t get no respect.

For more information, visit animalmagician.com.

IF YOU GO

WHO: Magician and animal trainer John Abrams

WHAT: Animal Magic Show of Doom!

WHEN: 4 p.m. Jan. 21

WHERE: Central Library, 7111 Talbert Ave.

COST: $4 per person; advance purchase recommended

INFORMATION: (714) 375-5107