The Super Science Book

This latest addition to The Bodley Head’s interactive pop-up books encourages young readers of about eight to ten years to observe, question and record. It is structured by double spreads on ‘How to be a Scientist’, ‘Elements’, ‘Mixtures … and Kitchen Chemistry!’, ‘Making Things Move’, ‘Waves and Rays’ and ‘Magnets and Electricity’. There are mini biographies to introduce famous scientists like Robert Boyle, Marie Curie and Isaac Newton and much useful information is provided – often in the form of amusing pictures and diagrams. Children will enjoy carrying out the simple experiments described. Young readers used to multi-media software and CDROMs will deal well with the copious flaps, pull-outs, tags, levers and pop-ups. There is some exciting paper engineering including the mountain with snowy top and verdant meadows which springs up when you open the first page. This reinforces the notion that children can think like young scientists as they explore natural phenomena in the world around them. A dramatic cityscape pops up at the end of the book on pages that show many concepts about electricity including the behaviour of static electricity and how a battery works. This visually stimulating book does not replace more conventional information texts but it provides an excellent start to thinking creatively about science.