The Greatest Stuff on Earth: The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms & everything in-between
The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms and everything in-between.

Have you ever stopped to think about all the stuff you encounter every day? There’s the stuff you breathe, the stuff you eat, the stuff you wear, the stuff you read, the stuff you walk on, the stuff you ride in, the stuff your body is made of… plus water, trees, sunlight, soap, electricity, vaccines, smartphones, and so much more!

In The Greatest Stuff on Earth, Steve Tomecek and John Devolle show us how this stuff works, including the miracle of transforming energy into matter and matter into energy. Stars do it…and also internal combustion engines…and living things, including grass and bacteria and worms and cheetahs and even us humans.

With contagiously enthusiastic and chatty explanatory text, fast facts, and clever, stylish and sometimes funny photos, illustrations, and diagrams, this fantastically browsable book offers hundreds of entry points for knowledge-hungry kids.

Steve holds a degree in Geology and has 30 years’ experience educating children (and their teachers) about science in a super fun, friendly way – as a writer, a radio and television presenter, and a live performer. He’s the perfect person to introduce middle-grade kids to the inner workings of the material world.

Includes a glossary and index.

1145861645
The Greatest Stuff on Earth: The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms & everything in-between
The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms and everything in-between.

Have you ever stopped to think about all the stuff you encounter every day? There’s the stuff you breathe, the stuff you eat, the stuff you wear, the stuff you read, the stuff you walk on, the stuff you ride in, the stuff your body is made of… plus water, trees, sunlight, soap, electricity, vaccines, smartphones, and so much more!

In The Greatest Stuff on Earth, Steve Tomecek and John Devolle show us how this stuff works, including the miracle of transforming energy into matter and matter into energy. Stars do it…and also internal combustion engines…and living things, including grass and bacteria and worms and cheetahs and even us humans.

With contagiously enthusiastic and chatty explanatory text, fast facts, and clever, stylish and sometimes funny photos, illustrations, and diagrams, this fantastically browsable book offers hundreds of entry points for knowledge-hungry kids.

Steve holds a degree in Geology and has 30 years’ experience educating children (and their teachers) about science in a super fun, friendly way – as a writer, a radio and television presenter, and a live performer. He’s the perfect person to introduce middle-grade kids to the inner workings of the material world.

Includes a glossary and index.

19.99 In Stock
The Greatest Stuff on Earth: The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms & everything in-between

The Greatest Stuff on Earth: The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms & everything in-between

The Greatest Stuff on Earth: The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms & everything in-between

The Greatest Stuff on Earth: The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms & everything in-between

Hardcover

$19.99 
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Overview

The amazing science of sunlight, smartphones, microphones, mushrooms and everything in-between.

Have you ever stopped to think about all the stuff you encounter every day? There’s the stuff you breathe, the stuff you eat, the stuff you wear, the stuff you read, the stuff you walk on, the stuff you ride in, the stuff your body is made of… plus water, trees, sunlight, soap, electricity, vaccines, smartphones, and so much more!

In The Greatest Stuff on Earth, Steve Tomecek and John Devolle show us how this stuff works, including the miracle of transforming energy into matter and matter into energy. Stars do it…and also internal combustion engines…and living things, including grass and bacteria and worms and cheetahs and even us humans.

With contagiously enthusiastic and chatty explanatory text, fast facts, and clever, stylish and sometimes funny photos, illustrations, and diagrams, this fantastically browsable book offers hundreds of entry points for knowledge-hungry kids.

Steve holds a degree in Geology and has 30 years’ experience educating children (and their teachers) about science in a super fun, friendly way – as a writer, a radio and television presenter, and a live performer. He’s the perfect person to introduce middle-grade kids to the inner workings of the material world.

Includes a glossary and index.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781804661420
Publisher: What on Earth Publishing
Publication date: 03/04/2025
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 7.50(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile: IG1060L (what's this?)
Age Range: 8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Steve Tomecek began his professional career as a geologist (yes, he’s a real scientist!), specializing in geomorphology and soils. He served as the Associate Director for the Science Museum of Long Island and as the Science Program Supervisor for the New York Hall of Science. Steve has written over 45 non-fiction books for both children and teachers and was the writer and star of “Dr. Dad’s Ph-3,” an Emmy-award-winning television series. He lives with his wife in Queens, New York.


John Devolle studied art at the University of Westminster in London, UK. He works full-time as a freelance illustrator, specializing in editorial illustration and infographics and both writing and illustrating children’s nonfiction. John loves music as well as art, and for several years he was a guitarist in a punk-blues-garage band called Junkbox and did a bit of music production for other bands. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Table of Contents

Page 5: INTRODUCTION

Page 8: STUFF THE BASICS

Page 10: SOMETIMES IT'S MATTER

Page 12: Atoms and Elements

Page 14: Compounds

Page 16: OTHER TIMES IT'S ENERGY

Page 20: NATURE STUFF

Page 22: IT CAME FROM THE BIG BANG

Page 24: Stars

Page 26: THE GROUND BENEATH US - ROCKS

Page 28: Magnets

Page 30: YUM...DIRT

Page 32: AWASH IN WATER

Page 34: Frozen

Page 36: LIFE-GIVING LIGHT

Page 38: WEATHER-FILLED AIR

Page 40: Our Greenhouse

Page 42: Fire

Page 44: THE COOLEST FEAT - LIFE

Page 46: DNA

Page 48: Cells

Page 50: Chloroplasts

Page 52: Mitochondria

Page 54: Microbes

Page 56: STUFF HUMANS MAKE AND USE

Page 58: FABULOUS FOOD

Page 60: Nutrients

Page 62: Food and Fire

Page 64: Ovens

Page 65: Pots and Pans

Page 66: Preserving Food

Page 68: Refrigeration

Page 70: FEELING FUELISH

Page 72: Alternative Energy

Page 74: Electricity

Page 76: Batteries

Page 78: GIVE ME SHELTER

Page 80: Building Materials

Page 82: COVER UP WITH CLOTHES

Page 84: First Fabrics

Page 86: SPIN THE WHEEL

Page 88: Motors

Page 90: THE WRITE STUFF - PAPER

Page 92: Type

Page 93: The Printing Press

Page 94: HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH!

Page 96: Disinfectants

Page 98: Germ Fighters

Page 100: Painkillers

Page 102: Replacement Body Parts

Page 104: LIGHTS, CAMERA, SMARTPHONE!

Page 106: Mics & Speakers

Page 108: Connections

Page 110: PROBLEMS WITH STUFF

Page 114: But There's More Stuff!

Page 116: Glossary

Page 120: Note on the Research

Page 121: Selected Sources

Page 123: Photo Credits

Page 124: Index

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