provides answers for every inquisitive child (and their grown-ups!).
With stunning photography and gorgeous original illustrations by Kate Slater, including a host of helpful and friendly diagrams, this is the ultimate gift for kids who need to know everything – and NOW!
Developed by Sally Symes
Sally Symes and Dr Saranne Taylor-Herbert
by
From the author and illustrator who brought you the bestselling Britannica First Big Book of Why comes First Big Book of How. Featuring compelling questions about space, Earth, machines, vehicles, buildings, animals and the human body, this magnificent volume provides answers for every inquisitive child (and their grown-ups!).
With stunning photography and gorgeous original illustrations by Kate Slater, including a host of helpful and friendly diagrams, this is the ultimate gift for kids who need to know everything – and NOW! od jellyfish sting? do magnets stick to metal? are bogeys made? do black holes form?
Sally Symes
by
Developed
Text by Sally Symes and Dr Saranne Taylor-Herbert Illustrations by Kate Slater
Also by Sally Symes
Kate Slater
whatonearthbooks.com 9 408187 581166 ISBN 978-1-80466-118-5 £20.00
First Book of
Illustrations
Text by
by Kate Slater
Also
Sally Symes
Kate Slater
whatonearthbooks.com 9 408187 581166 ISBN 978-1-80466-118-5 £20.00
of
Book
How do seeds sprout?
Most plants start life as seeds. Seeds come in many shapes and can be big like a coconut, or small like a poppy seed. Inside the seed, a tiny plant is waiting to grow. All it needs is a dollop of soil, a splash of water, and a few rays of sunshine to get things moving. After a while, the seed splits. A root grows down and a shoot grows up... and up... until it pops out of the soil. The seed has sprouted!
This stripy seed will grow into a sunflower.
A root starts to grow from the pointed end. root
As the root goes down, a shoot begins to grow up.
shoot
WACKY FACT
The biggest seed in the world is the coco de mer, the seed of a palm tree.
The shoot appears above the ground.
The root continues to get bigger to hold the growing plant steady.
The first two leaves appear as the seed shell drops away.
WACKY FACT
Polar bears occasionally overheat! They cool down by rolling in the snow or by jumping into the sea.
Polarbearfur may look white, buteach hair is actually transparent.
Tuftyfurkeeps theirtoestoasty .
4
How do polar bears keep warm?
Not many creatures can survive the freezing temperatures of the Arctic but polar bears can! A polar bear has a thick layer of blubbery fat under its skin that stops heat from escaping. The surface of its skin is black, and this dark coloring helps the skin absorb sunshine. Then on top of its skin are two layers of fur: a short, warm, fuzzy layer, and a longer waxy layer on top that keeps water out and warmth in. How cool is that?
long guard hairs
short fuzzy hairs
black skin fat
Long, thick guard hairs protect the bear’s soft undercoat. It’s rather like you or me wearing a raincoat over a warm, cozy fleece.
. . . . . . . . . .
5
Look what’s inside a rocket firework
Pointed head so it flies fast and straight
Gunpowder
Gunpowder Star Outside fuse Inside fuse
Stick to stand it upright
6
How do fireworks explode?
. . . . . . . . .
WHOOSH! KABOOM! It might sound like fireworks explode only once, but they actually explode twice (or more)! When someone lights the fuse on the outside of the firework tube, the gunpowder inside burns very quickly, creating gas that shoots the firework into the air. That’s the WHOOSH! The second fuse inside the tube sets fire to little balls called “stars.” These stars are made of powdered metals and salts that burn in particular colors and make different sparkling patterns. And that’s the KABOOM!
WACKY FACT
Fireworks were invented in China about 2,000 years ago—probably someone put bamboo stalks on a fire and they burst open with a bang!
7
.
Author: Sally Symes
Illustrator: Kate Slater
Ages: 4—8 years
Price: US $25.00 / CAN $33.75
Format: Hardcover
Extent: 256 pages
Trim size: 8.3 x 11 in
Pub date: October 15th, 2024
ISBN: 9781804661192
Bisac Codes:
JNF051000 / Science & Nature / General
JNF051120 / Technology / How Things Work-Are Made
JNF021050 / Games & Activities / Questions & Answers
How do scientists see into space? How do we know what the dinosaurs looked like? How do jellyfish sting? How do bugs walk on walls? How do bones grow? How do keys open locks? Featuring compelling questions about space, Earth, machines, vehicles, buildings, animals, and the human body, this magnificent book provides answers for every inquisitive child. By encouraging children to question how things are happening in the world around us, First Big Book of How offers a doorway into learning about the principles behind science, technology, and engineering. With stunning photography and gorgeous original illustrations by Kate Slater, including a host of helpful and friendly diagrams, this is the ultimate gift for kids who need to know everything—and now!
• Created by the author and illustrator team behind the bestselling Britannica First Big Book of Why.
• Over 150 questions answered in a clear, yet playful style that brings warmth and charm to every page.
• Features a lavish blend of specially commissioned illustrations, detailed diagrams showing just how things work, and full color photography.
• Every spread has been thoroughly fact-checked and reviewed by subject experts.
• Every chapter contains two “Tell me… NOW!” quickfire question spreads, which offer snappy answers to a child’s most pressing questions.
Author
Sally Symes worked for many years as a designer of children’s books before turning her skills to writing them. Her collaborations with Nick Sharratt have won several awards, including The Educational Writers’ Award for The Gooey, Chewy, Rumble, Plop Book and she is the author of the bestselling Britannica First Big Book of Why. She works from a shed in Sussex, UK, accompanied by her grumpy cat.
Illustrator
Kate Slater grew up on a beautiful farm in deepest Staffordshire, UK, and studied illustration at Kingston University. Her children’s books include: Britannica First Big Book of Why, A is for Ant, The Birthday Crown, The Little Red Hen, ABC London, Magpie’s Treasure, Make Your Own Birds of Prey, and Make Your Own Flying Machines. Alongside work for publishing, editorial and advertising, she has created several large-scale installations and window displays.
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PR AND MARKETING
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WHAT ON EARTH PUBLISHING— contactus@whatonearthbooks.com • whatonearthbooks.com
Also by Sally Symes and Kate Slater
ISBN 978-1-80466-119-2
9 781804 661192
