Inner Workings: The Extraordinary Insides of Ordinary Things

by Peter Hinckley, Olga Zakharova (Illustrator)

Overview

Budding young inventors, engineers, and sciences will love this one-of-a-kind STEM book for curious young minds!

“The creative approach to showcasing technology and nature, however, will get kids thinking and asking questions about the world around them. Pair this title with David Macaulay's The Way Things Work Now and Stephen Biesty's "Incredible Cross-Sections" series for an in-depth dive into how our world works. VERDICT A good introduction to STEM topics that will increase critical thinking skills and vocabulary.”—School Library Journal

What would you find if you cut a pocket watch, fireworks, a golf ball, a beehive, or even a merry-go-round in half? Something extraordinary, of course! In Inner Workings: The Extraordinary Insides of Ordinary Things, curious minds will get an inside look—literally—at the remarkable structures and mechanisms inside everyday objects with bold, cross-section illustrations of toilets, ice cream machines, Rubiks cubes, calculators, pool tables, bowling alleys, food, vending machines, and so much more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781952239304
Publisher:	Bushel & Peck Books
Publication date:	06/08/2021
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	IG1000L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Peter Hinckley is the author of numerous books for kids and families. He lives in California with his wife and their family. 

Olga Zakharova (a.k.a., FaveteArt) is a self-taught illustrator and letterer with two bachelor’s degrees that have nothing to do with art. Olga was born in Moscow, Russia, but moved to Latvia to find some peace and quiet. She now lives in an eco-village in the forest with her husband. Surrounded by nature on a daily basis, she finds inspiration in organic shapes and the perfect imperfections of the world. Her style is a mix of playful forms and cute characters drawn by hand and then digitized. When she is not working on illustrations, she can be found sleeping or being a doorwoman for her cats.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2021

Gr 3–6—Is the inner structure of a loaf of bread as complex as the inner workings of a toaster? This title provides answers through cutaway illustrations, informative captions, and labels that explain the inner workings of everyday items. Both man-made and natural objects are featured, showing the complexity of fabricated mechanisms and nature's creations. A side-by-side comparison of a wooden beehive and a hornet's nest reveal the ingenious construction of both types of insect communities. The text is written to appeal to kids and includes historical and fun facts. Zakharova employs double-page spreads, full-page exploded views, and small vignettes to showcase the striking content. Bright graphic art floats impressively on a black background that highlights the structural layers of food, fireworks, and more. Some cross-section illustrations convey interconnections better than others. The ant colony diorama is a fascinating graphic map of cooperative group activity that ranges from collecting food to laying eggs. Yet the bird's-eye view of the anatomy of a billiard table is an ambiguous pattern of shapes and lines that may confuse young readers rather than clarify how the ball-return system works. The creative approach to showcasing technology and nature, however, will get kids thinking and asking questions about the world around them. Pair this title with David Macaulay's The Way Things Work Now and Stephen Biesty's "Incredible Cross-Sections" series for an in-depth dive into how our world works. VERDICT A good introduction to STEM topics that will increase critical thinking skills and vocabulary.—Rita Christensen, Orem Public Library, UT

School Library Journal