How the World Works: A Hands-On Guide to Our Amazing Planet (Explore the Earth)

The pop-ups in this book are amazing. I think I enjoy looking at them as much as my child. I bought this for my 8-year-old as a companion reader to make her geography studies more fun this year. This book covers the whole gamut, from the Earth's interior, to volcanoes, to continents. It has little pop-ups that demonstrate how tectonic plates rub against each other (you pull the tab and the little cardboard plates hump up into mountain ranges), as well as mini-booklets showing the development of Pangaea, how day and night work, etc.One thing to be aware of (which I considered a plus) is the open-minded perspective in this book. It presents a variety of scientific theories on the origins of life - but it presents them as just that, theories. Different "ideas" that people have. Among this menu, it includes evolution, primordial ooze, meteorite amino acids, ocean floor volcanoes, etc. It even mentions how some people look to alien sources for life. In other words, it presents a menu that should prompt curiosity in your child and open a conversation for exploration. A secular parent will appreciate the evolution focus, and a religious parent will appreciate the open-ended angle that these are "common ideas" floating around our society, without weighing in on one or the other. In this sense, it values true scientific inquiry that respects that theories and hypotheses are always changing with new research and discoveries.Bear in mind that this section is only a very small sidebar that takes up about 4 inches in one of the pages. I mention it only because some parents have strong opinions on this subject. The book as a whole is amazing, and both you and your child will adore it.

Nice pop-ups. Advanced for our three year old, but much more interesting to read than dr Seuss. Really tired of dr Seuss. Anyhow, the environmental message is kind of a drag. Every page has a helpful message about how we are destroying the planet. I don't disagree, but it's a bummer and heavy stuff before bedtime. I've been skipping that part for my child, (it's only about 1/8th of each page. This is how the chain of life works! Oh, and did you know humans are killing all the animals in the chain of life?) but I still read it and then it depresses me, which is not ideal for book time, you know?

This is a fantastic book for kids. It has lots of information that allows you to explain how things work in relation to the earth and science. You can keep it simple for the younger kids, but really read through the material for older kids. Tells about how planets were formed, life cycle of animals and plants, effects carbon has on the eco-system and atmosphere, how it rains, earthquakes and plate tectonics, various types of storms and wind speeds, and more. I should note that if you are not someone who believes in the big bang theory or global warming, you might not fully appreciate this book. However, you could still use it as a guide to explain how some people believe this or that.

I purchased this book for my 5-year-old thinking he would like all the pop-up features and he does, but unfortunately, it is a little over his head. I definitely would suggest getting this book but would suggest you purchase it for your 2nd or 3rd grader. Enjoy!

This book is very informative and beautifully illustrated. However, it is not creation friendly. It teaches the big bang and evolution in detail, although it does point out that "nobody knows for sure." I homeschool and although we believe and teach our children creation, I think this will be a great learning tool to teach them about these theories. Aside from that, my kids love books like this and enjoy reading it and playing with all of the interactive flaps and dials. The pop up pages are adorable.

This book is awesome! With great info, impressively laid out for younger minds to understand! Unfortunately my book came with a large tear, which is really upsetting because it was intended as a gift. So for a book over $20 I cant give it more than 3 stars if it can’t get to me in one piece.

My son LOVES this book (he got it as a 5 year old) and we gave one to a 4 year old friend who called it "the best book ever!" Each page has something to do (most have multiple things) like turn a dial, pull tabs, etc.Really neat book to encourage an interest in the world around us and an understanding of the earth's processes. Based on current scientific understanding. The interactive plate tectonics part is especially cool, and it helps kids understand why some places have earthquakes and volcanoes. It's too bad K-12 and college books aren't this fun and interactive!

One thinks of pop up books for younger children. This is a science pop up with factual information and pop up demonstrations. Very unique. I bought it for my 8 1/2 year old grandson because of course at this age he is fascinated with science but the pop up displays and pull outs make the information more real.

Instead of a pop-up book, it is truly like a book for child reading. There are 8 pages shown different earth natural phenomenon using a lot of pull paper-engineering and some pop-ups. The color is very beautiful with appropriate descriptions, suitable for parents playing with childs.

My 6 year old says, "It is an evolutionary book, still great for learning. It has lots of neat stuff. It has flaps to pull, wheels to turn and lots of things to keep your kids busy." It is an engaging introduction to geography (but I do wonder if the Pop Up Geography Book would have been better...). The introduction is written for an assumption that evolution is fact; the rest of it doesn't mention anything about it. It would be a good book for homeschoolers or anyone else interested in learning about geography and all the stuff about how the world works.

Unbelievably terrific. Ideal to read with a child, and talk about. You have to see it to appreciate the art, layout, writing and, yes, the multiple clever pop-ups. The pop-ups are more about educating than entertaining, although the volcano is explosive.

SO great :-) excellent interactive learning!

Absolutely amazing book that includes information for kids from school curriculum.Fun lift the flaps and paper moving parts.One of my favourite books. We got it second hand for £7 via Amazon but it worth paying full price.Good for 4 year olds and up. It's all paper pages (not cardboard) inside and younger kids may damage it easily.Would make a great present.