Stephen Biesty's Incredible Explosions: Exploded Views of Astonishing Things

Don't let the title mislead you--this book isn't about things that blow up like volcanoes or chemistry experiments gone awry. Instead, illustrator Stephen Biesty and author Richard Platt (Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Castle, Stephen Beisty's Incredible Body) have once again blown the cover off places as big as Venice and as off-limits as a Space Station so that young ones can see what's inside. This talented duo knows exactly what interests children. For example, at the Space Station young readers get to see cool stuff like cockpit controls and the module where space experiments are performed, as well as gross stuff like what happens to an astronaut with space sickness. Looking inside a movie studio, kids can peek at the makeup and hairstyling rooms (where glamour gals and demon monsters come to life) as well as an ocean liner in a huge water tank that's being attacked by a remote-control giant squid. With so much of the big world remaining hidden or inaccessible to children, fact-filled books such as these are instantly fascinating, fun, and even (sneakily) educational. (Ages 7 and older) --Gail Hudson