How it Works : Shark
- Written by Molly Littleboy
- Illustrated by David Semple
- Published by Little Tiger
This book is jam packed with everything you could ever need to learn about Sharks, and it is designed and detailed in a way that makes it fantastic content for the intended readers, those aged 2-5 years. Little ones can learn what Sharks are, what they look like, their characteristics such as the dorsal fin we see above water, what they are made of, their senses, and the internal components of the mammal. This is especially cool when you see that there are cut outs to the pages that allow you to see that which is being referenced, and this design of the book gives the illustrations more depth which in turn brings the mammals to life off of the page. None of the contents is scary, when ordinarily we associate them as such, and actually there is much to learn and educate little ones on these majestic mammals, who are fascinating to watch on nature programmes, etc. The bitesize facts and did you knows are the perfect amount of information for little ones to wrap their inquisitive minds around, and they are stated in a way that relates to the level of awareness younger children have about things. This is a fascinating book for those who long to learn more about sharks, enjoy books about animals, and little factfinders.
How It Works – Fire Engine
When I first saw this book arrive I called my sister to discuss the relevance of the theme in relation to my nephew. He starts reception class this September so he is moving on from the intended younger audience board books that have been priceless in ensuring he has a love of books and reading, and he really, really does! This book right here is indeed a board book, and you can quite rightly gift/recommend it to younger toddlers, and yet this book has more content that defines it as suitable for preschool aged children who are looking for additional detail and depth because they have the interest and attention span to boot. Yes this book is fab as a crossover between initial board book readers and those progressing because the illustrations are labelled, bold, and the cut-out design of the book adds that engaging element children of all ages appreciate, and on top of all of these incredible features included in this book there are also longer sentences to give further understanding and appreciation for the different topic covered in each of the books two page spreads. I love the speech bubbles featured throughout the book that give quick fire facts about fire engines, and these include interesting details such as what the very first fire engines consisted of, and how long firefighters have to get dressed in their gear. My nephew is going to love this book, and not just because it is vehicle based, but also because it has so many amazing elements combined to make it interesting from the cover through to the blurb on the back. I am going to enjoy sharing this with him on one of his visits, and teaching him all the labels on the illustrations, and then seeing how quickly he picks up on them whilst we read and reread this book together.
How it works – The Body
As this book states on the front cover this is ‘a very first look inside your body!’ and for curious minds that would like to understand how we work and what we are made of this book gives them all they could need to know. The cut out pages make the book even more engaging for little hands to explore, and help define and break down the layers of the human body in a more understandable way for little ones to comprehend easily.
The information begins with educating readers on what is found on the outside of us – hair and skin, with explanations of the importance they play on people and any role they do – such as eyelashes keeping ‘dirt, rain, sweat and bugs out of our eyes!’. We then learn about our head, shoulders, knees and toes (loving the playful reference in this sections title), and little ones are able to understand all of these moving components of the human body. I love that there is a clearly labelled human body reflecting what is being referred to one the two page spread assigned to each topic, and we have enjoyed finding the labelled parts of the human body on ourselves. The senses are the next topic for discussion in the book, and the clearly defined illustrations make following the information easy, with another design feature of the book being the speech bubble coming from the dr mouse on each page that gives another interesting fact/detail about that which is being talked about on the pages.
That which can be found inside our bodies such as the circulatory system is next in the books topics covered, with fascinating insight and information such as there are ‘over 600 muscles inside of us’ – something I discussed at length with my teenager! Organs are the next topic included in this book, with bones being the final section. The bright coloured background to each two page spread (which is different each time to clearly define topics) makes the illustrations pop on the page and catch your attention as soon as you turn the page. If I repeat myself in these reviews of these individual books in this series I make no apologies saying I am a huge fan of how informative, educational, engaging and interactive these books are for little ones – so much so I couldn’t pick a favourite in the series and have instead ordered these books according to when they were published.
How it Works – Rocket
There is so much fascination with Space for little ones, and there are some incredibly fun books on the topic available from a young age, but until now I had yet to have the pleasure of a board book focusing solely on the workings of a rocket, a key component to space travel and all that we have learnt about other planets as a result of their existence. The book goes through explaining what a rocket is and what it is made from, how a rocket needs fuel in order to work and parts come away from the rocket as it uses up the fuel in order to enter space, the different additional vehicles that a rocket can have onboard for space related tasks, about astronauts, returning to earth, and landing safely as the journey concludes. So much fascinating content is included in this book, facts as well as more generalised information – all of which further inspires and informs younger children on all they could want to know about one of the most fun sounding forms of transport – the rocket – and my nephew, who is a pre-schooler, is utterly fascinated with this book, as well as being a huge fan of the series in its entirety, and he has found learning about rockets as he finds how things work fascinating to learn about.
How it Works – Digger
Another title in the series that focuses on vehicles which is bound to prove a huge hit with younger children who absolutely love this topic, and I have spent countless hours with the little people in my life looking out for different modes of transport on our journeys. One huge highlight is when we see construction vehicles of any kind and what a treat it is to learn all there is to know about how diggers work. After finding out the definition of a digger and enjoying the first of the labelled illustrations contained in the book we are then off to a building site to see what parts of the digger enable it to move around, and then see how it proves invaluable on the building site in which a house is being built. The next part of the books topics is that of digging, the main function of a digger, and there are fascinating insights offered in regards to one of these vehicles such as how ‘the cab can spin all the way round to carry the dirt away!’. There are additional construction vehicles referenced and included in the next two page spread which will delight little ones as they learn the correct name for each type and point out those they are familiar with, and then the book concludes with it being the end of a very busy and successful day for the digger and its operator, and we get to see the completed house build. The illustrative detail included in these books make them appeal to the intended reader age but also ensure all relevant detail is included, with the labels to them helping readers to determine what exactly is each thing and where it is located too. It really is fascinating content that is informative throughout, and this title is a fantastic addition to this series.
How it Works – Dinosaurs
The most infamous of all dinosaurs is the focus of this title in the series with many facts, explanations and illustrations reflecting the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. It isn’t lost on me that this was the first type of dinosaur my boys learnt and the same with my nephew, and it is almost as if that interest then opens the door to them learning about other types of dinosaur, and appreciating the T.Rex as the king of dinosaurs also allows the other types to have a comparative to. The cut outs in the book make it easier for little ones to grasp the different elements of the dinosaur referenced in the book. After learning about what dinosaurs are and when they existed we are given more specific information on the T.Rex including how they ‘could see and smell really well’ and the palaeontologist mouse that features on each page gives additional bitesize facts about what we are dissecting on the page such as how many teeth the T.Rex had, and then we move on to making comparisons between dinosaurs and birds which is backed by science and research. Dinosaurs laid their eggs in nests like birds, and some of the species of reptiles flew, so there is much to see and read to back up what is being stated. Moving on we learn about the T.Rex’s physical strengths and weaknesses, and then we find out about what the dinosaur ate as a carnivore. The labelled illustrations make following the information so much easier, and younger intrigued minds will be fascinated about what is included. The final section in the book teaches readers about Fossils, which is a highly relevant part of our understanding and learning about dinosaurs as a whole, and is another fascinating part of research that leads to discovery, and subsequently constantly finding out new things. What a journey this book takes you on, and being jammed packed with details and depth of knowledge means there is so much to take away with you, and inspire you too.
How it works – Tractor
Again you cannot go wrong with a board book focusing on a mode of transport, and this book about Tractors is going to be a crowd pleaser given how excited little ones get in seeing a Tractor on a farm, roadway, or even the school field for some. This particular type of vehicle is one my children loved to the point that even the programmes they would watch featured them. The book begins with explaining what a Tractor is, and some of the characteristics of one, before moving on to detailing what we can find inside it. The cut out pages help added a 3D effect to the tractor that is clearly labelled at each topic to show what is being referred to and when the next topic of how a tractor functions when moving comes up it will be a highlight of the content for intrigued youngsters, with there being so much they wouldn’t be familiar with being shared inside this book for them to learn and appreciate. We get to find out about attachments to a tractor too such as a plough or a baler, which are things we typically see a tractor pulling in the countryside and yet do not necessarily know what they are called or do, and all of that is offered up in this book – educating little ones on all things tractor. There are so many parts to a tractor that make the vehicle as efficient as it is, day and night, and it is such a treat to be able to learn so much about the ultimate go to farming vehicle and appreciate what makes it such an incredible invention for the farming industry. I will look at tractors with a greater understanding next time I see them, and I am excited to spot the parts that this book teaches you about, and I know little ones will be even more excited by that concept.
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