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Scientifically detailed and packed full of information, this is a high-level introduction to the exceptionally complex demands of the building of bridges, tunnels and high rise city sky scrapers and how they have been solved. Structural engineer Roma Agrawal has chosen some iconic structures as case studies ranging historically from the Pantheon in Rome and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico which was built on a sucken Aztec pyramid to the great engineering feats of the nineteenth century including the Brooklyn Bridge and the London sewers. Bringing the story of development up to date she has a detailed account of the building of the Shard in London which she worked on! In addition the case studies, there is a mass of technical detail about how to make buildings watertight, stable and strong. From the humble brick to the latest methods of computer modelling everything that has helped man make buildings is included. A book to explore again and again this is also a celebration of great engineers and especially great women engineers!
September 2021 Book of the Month | Two lorries, two cheerful crews, set out from the depot in the morning for a busy day, ‘Empty lorry, load lorry, straight back on the road, lorry’. There’s so much to do and so many other vehicles and drivers they encounter. With its irresistible tongue-exercising rhyming text, most lines only two words long, and bright, busy illustrations, this is a celebration of traffic jam-packed with fun. It will be essential reading for any young transportophile, but just as entertaining for the rest of the family too.
How many wonderful things start with time, with looking up and the imagination? That’s how treehouses start, according to this beautiful and inspiring picture book. As each page turns, we explore a different treehouse in the company of groups of little children, excited, happy, working together. And the treehouses, how wonderful are they? The one shaped like a pirate ship, the one with the huge built-in bookcase, the ones high up amidst the stars in the sky, all extraordinary, all for children only, places in which to dream and explore. It’s a book that repays multiple readings with each spread full of detail and joy.
With charming illustrations by Jenny Lovlie, and a perfectly-pitched story-in-rhyme by award-winning Davina Bell, I Love Tractors is a wonderful ode to the joys of finding your thing through books. It will surely strike a special chord with toddlers who know exactly what they’re interested in, and with long-suffering parents who think they’ve heard everything there is to hear about their child’s favourite subject. When Frankie McGee visits the library, his mum despairs when he wants to borrow yet another book about tractors: “There are more than a squillion good books here to try. Why is it always those tractors, Frank, why?!” In response, Frankie enthusiastically proceeds to explain exactly why it’s always tractors. The rhyming text is a work of elegance - the words slip smoothly from the tongue, making it a delight to read aloud, and an enthralling listening experience for little ones, whether you’re reading it as a pre-bedtime treat, or in a classroom context. Oh, and special mention must go to lovely librarian, Miss Squid, who promises to be on hand when Frankie fancies reading about another topic - “When you want something different, just come and find me. A boy who likes books is a nice thing to see.” We’re with you on that, Miss Squid!
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | Over one hundred years since it happened, the story of the sinking of the Titanic still grips the imagination. After all, as David Long says in this new book, ‘almost everything about [its sinking] sounded extraordinary’. Long is a Blue Peter Book Award winner and knows exactly how to describe the events to convey the facts, share the drama, and capture the effect on history. The book explains how the Titanic and her sister ships the Olympic and the Britannic, were designed to be both huge and luxurious, with details that bring this home – the ship was as long as three football pitches, there was a squash court, swimming pool and Turkish baths on its ten decks. There are human details too, such as the fact that passengers took advantage of its state-of-the-art technology to send 200 ‘Marconigrams’ from the ship to friends and family back home. Ably assisted by illustrator Stefano Tambellini, Long relates just how this extraordinary ship sank, but ends by describing the positive changes that came about as a result – new rules about lifeboats and drills, new rules for radio operators, new safety measures for ship design, all designed to prevent future tragedies. Together, it makes for a fascinating record of this unique story and remind us why the Titanic is the ship no-one can forget. Published by dyslexia specialist Barrington Stoke, this is accessible to all readers. Discover David Long's fascinating Apollo 13 space mission facts!
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2022 Information Books 3-14 | From architecture to engineering (and other STEM subjects!), scale new heights on an enchanting journey with the school children in this book to discover answers to these questions along with other fascinating facts about bridges and how they work.
From boats and trucks to trains, limousines and hot air balloons, explore a huge range of different ways to travel in this charming board book. With peep-through holes throughout, there's a fun surprise on every page. Part of an original and exciting new series of board books with bright and bold illustrations.
A World of Houses and Habitats | Learn how humans have built dwellings to suit all kinds of habitats. Adapting themselves to all kinds of landscapes and climates, over the centuries humans have used their architectural ingeniousness to build amazing dwellings: find them here, from houses on stilts and igloos to tree houses and skyscrapers. Fully illustrated with clear, engaging artwork and intelligent, simple and original text presented in a clean, appealing design.
Of course you shouldn’t call an elephant in an emergency, he’ll just tangle the fire hoses and cause a flood. Don’t let lemmings fly the rescue helicopter either, or rely on an anteater for a cave rescue (he’ll disgrace himself). These are just some of the ridiculous scenarios dreamed up by Patricia Cleveland-Peck in the latest in this hilarious picture book series, illustrations by David Tazzyman, his scribbly detail catching all the chaos and possibilities of the action. It’s great to read aloud and the action builds to a perfect, and perfectly funny conclusion. Peck and Tazzyman are the consummate picture book partnerships and each double-page is an brilliant adventure in its own right.
This brand new board book edition of a favourite sing-along picture book is bursting with cars, buses, planes, trains, trucks, diggers and many more things that go. Add to that a musical accompaniment to the tune of 'Baa, Baa, Black Sheep' and ... what a combination! Follow the web link on the back of the book and get ready to sing along.
There’s an infectious enthusiasm about this book that will inspire every reader to look around their local train station with new eyes, or to take train trips specially to explore other lines and destinations. Author Vicki Pipe, ably assisted by Geoff Marshall (look out for Geoff’s Fun Facts text boxes – they’re irresistible), identifies fifty fascinating things to see and discover across the railways of England, Scotland and Wales and they range from tunnels, viaducts and lists of the smallest stations, to trees, railway pets and the people who keep the whole system moving. You get a great sense of the history of train travel in the UK and exciting glimpses into the future. A fact-filled information book compiled by people with a passion to match their knowledge.
There are no better books for young vehicle fans, and William Bee’s new big, lively, information-packed book tells them everything they’ll want to know about tractors and the machines that work on our farms. From the smallest tractors – the illustration shows one in an orchard – to the really massive ones, ones that pull, push, lift and scoop, they’re all here illustrated across double pages. The author’s friendly text is full of information about what the different tractors are for, and how important they are in providing our food. There’s even space for a look at the very first tractors, and we meet William’s carthorse, Brian, too. Collect the set with William Bee’s Wonderful Worlds of Trains and Trucks.
