hands-on learning

Who doesn’t like a hands-on book, a book that let’s you experience it as you read and learn?  This book is a Planetarium (affiliate link) is one such book.   Kelli Anderson brings us a book filled with pop up’s like you have never seen before!

You get these pop-ups: A speaker, a planetarium,a spiralgraph, a decoder ring, a perpetual calendar and a music instrument fill the pages of this book.   Heavy paper supports them, which considering their quality is an integral part of each construct.

When you first open this pop-up book you will find tissue paper protecting each of the constructs. This attention to detail helps to reinforce the obvious care and concern put into making it.  Defying every expectation of what a book can be, this pop-up extravaganza transforms into six fully functional tools: a real working planetarium projecting the constellations, a musical instrument complete with strings for strumming, a geometric drawing generator , an infinite calendar , a message decoder , and even a speaker that amplifies sound. 

Now will this book last forever?  🙂  Of course not, it’s made of heavy paper, but it is well made and if parents and their offspring use it carefully it will last for a good long while, at least as long as many of the disposable toys made now-a-days.  🙂   Uses?  Oh…. varied eh?   A good book to explore the senses, for studying the engineering of paper, to attempt replication, to get an introduction to making codes or to just have fun!   It’s a rather neat book!

Why do I like it so much?   This book is meant to be a hands-on, tactile science book.  A book with explanations and then “do it”.   The object is to be involved in the world, doing, listening, experimenting.   Then, as you’ve experimented with the book, to see how the book is brought to life in the physical world.  It’s geared to help the reader/doer.. ask questions and want to know more.  The fact that the font is smaller and in dark print helps you to focus on the learning and discovery FIRST, and then to go back after for answers.  Well designed.

My thoughts:

I LOVE, just LOVE books that help people ask questions.  That don’t necessarily provide ALL the answers, but enough to get the student going in the right direction.  This book encourages those questions, giving the student a good place to start, and then leaving them to it.  A good thing that!

This Book is a Planetarium and other extraordinary Pop-up contraptions Kelli Anderson Chronicle Books, hardcover, 5 pages Pop-up, activity, science, engineering, Papercraft Age range: 6 and up Reviewed for: Raincoast Books. Where can you find it? Amazon Link.