What do you think?
Rate this book
Hands On Guide
How We Make Stuff
Where do our clothes come from? What's the link between gorillas and mobile phones? 'How We Make Stuff' is an engaging exploration of the way we use Earth's natural resources.
18 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
18 people want to read
About the author
Christiane Dorion
20 books9 followersChristiane Dorion is a children's author who is passionate about the natural world and loves writing about it. Her books have won many awards, including the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize. Originally from Quebec, Canada, Christiane now lives in Surrey in the UK.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 12, 2018
What are rubber ducks really made of? Where do burgers come from? Does chocolate really grow on trees? How do we turn trees into paper? What’s the link between gorillas and mobile phones?
If you are a parent, your child often bombards you with the most fascinating questions — questions that probably make you stop and think, too. In How We Make Stuff [Templar Publishing; 2012], writer Christiane Dorion provides answers to some of the burning questions of childhood — at least a few of which remained unanswered from her own youth.
This large, highly interactive book uses colourful diagrammes and flowcharts, along with a variety of fun booklets, flaps, tabs and pop-ups that describe how we design, produce and dispose of everyday products such as clothing, mobile phones and several common food items. It also explains the history and environmental impacts of human technology.
Each section or chapter is a 2-page spread filled with charming and quirky paintings by artist Beverley Young, who illustrated the other two books in this award-winning “How it works” series. At the beginning of this book, a cluster of factories pop up, showing how our inventions have changed how a variety of everyday items are made. Later in the book, another section points to the curious juxtaposition between single-use disposable products that are made from materials that will last forever — unless we develop methods for recycling or reusing these items. Along those lines, one of the flaps is a refrigerator door that can be opened to show the six types of plastic containers we use, and next to that is a pull-tab showing what happens to plastics that are not recycled.
I particularly liked the last section, entitled; “What can we learn from other creatures?” This section explores topics such as why modern wind turbines mimic the shape of whale fins, how sharks maintain their speedy swimming by resisting encrustation by barnacles, and what we can learn from abalone to develop stronger building materials. Filled with clever innovations inspired by basic knowledge of the animals around us, this section unites the value of sustainable living with the appreciation and preservation of the animals and plants that share the Earth with us.
More than just another pretty children’s book, the author provides an informative and thought-provoking starting point for a dinner-table or classroom discussion about the practicalities of sustainable living. This large hardcover will also be enjoyed by children who are considerably older than its intended audience of those who are aged 7 to 12 years.
NOTE: Originally published at The Guardian on 2 July 2013.
If you are a parent, your child often bombards you with the most fascinating questions — questions that probably make you stop and think, too. In How We Make Stuff [Templar Publishing; 2012], writer Christiane Dorion provides answers to some of the burning questions of childhood — at least a few of which remained unanswered from her own youth.
This large, highly interactive book uses colourful diagrammes and flowcharts, along with a variety of fun booklets, flaps, tabs and pop-ups that describe how we design, produce and dispose of everyday products such as clothing, mobile phones and several common food items. It also explains the history and environmental impacts of human technology.
Each section or chapter is a 2-page spread filled with charming and quirky paintings by artist Beverley Young, who illustrated the other two books in this award-winning “How it works” series. At the beginning of this book, a cluster of factories pop up, showing how our inventions have changed how a variety of everyday items are made. Later in the book, another section points to the curious juxtaposition between single-use disposable products that are made from materials that will last forever — unless we develop methods for recycling or reusing these items. Along those lines, one of the flaps is a refrigerator door that can be opened to show the six types of plastic containers we use, and next to that is a pull-tab showing what happens to plastics that are not recycled.
I particularly liked the last section, entitled; “What can we learn from other creatures?” This section explores topics such as why modern wind turbines mimic the shape of whale fins, how sharks maintain their speedy swimming by resisting encrustation by barnacles, and what we can learn from abalone to develop stronger building materials. Filled with clever innovations inspired by basic knowledge of the animals around us, this section unites the value of sustainable living with the appreciation and preservation of the animals and plants that share the Earth with us.
More than just another pretty children’s book, the author provides an informative and thought-provoking starting point for a dinner-table or classroom discussion about the practicalities of sustainable living. This large hardcover will also be enjoyed by children who are considerably older than its intended audience of those who are aged 7 to 12 years.
NOTE: Originally published at The Guardian on 2 July 2013.
Displaying 1 of 1 review