Now You Know How It Works

K-Gr 3—A bright and stimulating introduction to the mechanics and makeup of everyday objects and phenomena. The most successful spreads describe objects or processes that are very basic or commonly encountered, such as how shadows work. Without needing a lot of text about the rotation of the earth and the angle of insolation, Fisher's diagrams allow very young readers to clearly see the way the rays of the sun go over the tops of their heads to impact where their shadows are visible on the ground. Shown from multiple angles, cause and effect relationships are very well defined. More complex objects or processes that may be difficult for early elementary children are described with mixed results. For example, a labeled diagram of a flashlight includes batteries (including the negative and positive ends) and mentions electricity flowing through a metal strip. While kindergartners can grasp that hitting a button makes the flashlight come on and off, understanding even the basics of battery polarity or electromagnetism may be a lot to ask. That said, older elementary and middle school visual learners can benefit from the well-executed diagrams of these processes. Fans of Fisher's previous books will be thrilled to see that, in addition to the diagrams and labeled photographs, she again uses her signature retro toy—and-paper dioramas to great effect.