How Strong Is It? : A Mighty Book About Strength

Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer

Amazing facts are presented with colorful, computer-enhanced illustrations and brief descriptive text. The description of spider silk explains that ounce for ounce, it is stronger than nylon or steel. The accompanying illustration depicts strands as thick as pencils stopping a Boeing 747 in mid-flight. The world's largest bulldozer, the Komatsu D575A, is shown destroying a castle. A boy holding a flashlight inside a black hole would not be able to escape. In fact, the gravity is so powerful that the light would also be sucked in. Trees and wood are among the strongest and most versatile materials in the world. Some of the other fantastic topics covered include glue, lasers, hurricanes, hair, oxen, trebuchets, and volcanoes. The strongest animal in the world, pound for pound and ounce for ounce, is the Hercules Beetle. Weighing in at only three quarters of an ounce, this beetle can carry 37 pounds—850 times its own weight. Photographs of impossible scenes and feats cover about two-thirds of each double-page spread with the text appearing in a column on the right-hand side. A table of contents and an index aid in finding information on the twenty-two otherwise-unrelated topics. Students in upper elementary and middle schools will likely enjoy browsing through this book and sharing some of the facts with others. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.