CDs start out as sand. Blackboard chalk comes from tiny sea creatures. The objects all around us -- every single product in the world -- is made from elements found in nature. Discover how nature is transformed into more than 60 things we eat, drink, play with, wear or use every day. Technology changes constantly, but the stages raw materials go through to become finished objects remain much the same. On every page of this big book, these processes are described and illustrated step by step. The text and artwork combine playfulness with encyclopedic attention to detail. This unique and fascinating book will inform and entertain every step of the way. Includes a glossary, index and further resources to help children, parents and teachers. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 4-7-This lively presentation looks at how 69 familiar items are made. "Fun and Games" includes baseballs, guitars, teddy bears, CDs, and marbles; "Around the House" includes books, dental floss, erasers, toothpaste, and wire; and "Soup to Nuts" covers bread, ice cream, peanut butter, and yogurt. The last section describes the raw materials used in the manufacturing processes, including aluminum, glass, paper, petroleum, and rubber. Historical information is included, such as the fact that the earliest form of football was played with a pig's bladder in Virginia in 1609. The steps needed to manufacture each item are numbered in bold type so that readers can follow along, and whimsical cartoon art helps them understand the process. Although reminiscent of David Macaulay's The Way Things Work (Houghton, 1988), this book is less technical and is written for younger children.-Ann Joslin, formerly at Erie County Public Library, PA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 4-7. A jaunty and enthusiastic foray into how stuff is made: interesting stuff such as baseballs, plastic dinosaurs, toothpaste, cereal, paper, and bricks. Each two-page spread covers the making of one of the 69 items in numbered paragraphs. The pictures are the best part--clear watercolor and ink images, made all the more engaging by folks in overalls directing the action. The processes for making guitars, cat litter, and cheese are drawn large, but the figures (both genders, all colors) are elf-tiny. There's always a sentence or two of history, which is sometimes weak (soccer is older than the Middle Ages), but the process is the point, and young researchers will be fascinated to learn, for example, why bubble gum is pink (the first manufacturer had a lot of that color dye sitting around). --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2005 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.