how things work

"This is the gear. One goes this way, the other goes that way." That was Josh explaining to me how cogs work, a recent revelation thanks to Usborne's See Inside How Things Work (written by Conrad Mason, illustrated by Colin King). This is a flap book with 90+ flaps to lift - some even multi-layered for the same image - that teach about everything from plumbing to trumpets to tower cranes.

One great element of this book is that the pictures and the words are both educational. My boys don't read, but they love looking at the diagrams, which have detailed illustrations with arrows and color coding to explain concepts. But read the captions as well, and you'll learn a new layer of how everything works together. 

And parents can learn, too! I never knew how those tall tower cranes were constructed, but I do now. Have you wondered what's really going on inside a lock, or how hair dyers heat up so quickly? Wonder no more! It's all explained in these easy-to-follow diagrams.

It's that book that will help you answer all those questions coming from the backseat.

---

Book benefits:

• Flaps of all shapes and sizes to explore
• Themed pages to show connections between simple and complex machines
• A wide variety of topics to engage kids with all sorts of interests
• Easy-to-understand explanations of what's going on
• Detailed diagrams to help pre-readers be equally fascinated
• So. Much. Information. Hours of exploration waiting for you!

Added bonus - this book is part of a series, so if your kids like this book, you can keep 'em coming!

Buy See Inside How Things Work here! ($14.99, hardcover)