Stephen Biesty's Incredible Everything

VOYA - Kevin S. Beach

This is another remarkably illustrated item from DK. Biesty, the illustrator who also produced Incredible Cross Sections (Knopf, 1992) and Castle (DK, 1994/VOYA February 1995) manages to combine simplicity and fine detail in his drawings. Combined with the informative text, this rivals Macauley's The Way Things Work (Houghton Mifflin, 1988) as the best book to read to understand the basics of such functions as doughnut making, airplane construction, newspaper publishing, and much more. A Saturn V rocket "centerfold" that unfurls to a 14-inch x 40-inch masterpiece is the finest example of this book's appeal. The authors convey to the reader the awe-inspiring technology and attention to detail that go into many of the everyday products we take for granted. The bridge-building segment of the book alone supplies a source for easy-to-understand technical information my library students are regularly seeking. As an added incentive to younger readers, two searchable Waldo-ish characters named Chester the Tester and Hector the Inspector are inserted into the drawings, providing comic relief. What more can be said of these books? All kids love the busy pages, and even adults can learn from the break-away drawings such things as how skyscrapers stand or how they put data on CDs. A fun and useful addition to all collections. Index. Illus. VOYA Codes: 5Q 5P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written, Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8 and Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9).

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6Students who are familiar with Biesty's work many enjoy this title even though there seems to be no rationale for the items included. The oversize format lends itself to the many tiny, meticulous full-color illustrations that occupy the pages. The size, however, does not lend itself to library shelving. The text and illustrations are arranged according to a table of contents with one to five topics per two-page spread. Among the incredible everythings are plywood, compact discs, plastic bottles, soap, athletic shoes, and photocopiers. The Saturn V occupies a double fold-out that will quickly be tattered with use. Every topic is introduced by a short paragraph; each numbered, illustrated step in the manufacturing process is then described in one sentence. Details are added in smaller print. The layout is sometimes confusing as the illustrated processes zigzag across the page or circle around the main picture. Some explanations are rather vague, leaving gaps in the information and in understanding. Strictly a browsing item.Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS