WHAT HAPPENS WHEN...? you turn on the TV? switch on a light? mail a letter?

by John Farndon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1996

In a world of microwaves and instant-just-add-water, it's easy not to pause and think about where that water came from. Farndon, Pricker, and Harnden have created a visually entertaining format for simply stated, clearly defined explanations of the technology behind 13 ordinary processes, from flushing a toilet to posting a letter, from watching a weather forecast to ordering a pizza by phone. Numbered text makes it easy to follow the stages of electrical current on its way to a house or a newspaper from reporting to delivery; fold-out pages take readers behind the scenes in making a pizza and delivering a letter from the US to Australia. The busy, cutaway cartoon illustrations--a cross between Waldo and The Magic School Bus--are full of action, detail, and humor. Small people aid the demonstrations, shredding paper with giant scissors for recycling, or zooming on high-speed surfboard vehicles along the information superhighway. They are visual reminders that certain jobs are labor-intensive, and reinforce the notion that each intricate process is multifaceted. A wonderful place to stop wondering about the world and start understanding the way it works.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S