Kids love to know how things work, but it's not often I find books that are just right for the preschool and lower elementary age that fills that need (and I'm not talking about the four-year-old who explained to us all how compasses work. I have no idea where they got that from.)

Fisher, whose playful photography will be familiar to fans of Everything I need to know before I'm five, does an excellent job of illustrating and explaining the inner mechanics of a fascinating variety of things. Readers and listeners will learn the inner workings of a toilet (along with diagrams of where the water goes and how the tank fills up again), how shadows work, with a simple series of yellow balls, arrows, and a green background; the more complex inside of a lightbulb, and how air pressure and straws work.

There are a total of 22 items explained in the book, from whistles to where garbage goes, from blenders to how pencils are made (and sharpened). Simple formulas and pictorial guidelines are given before the reader starts, including how to read the various arrows, and there is a pictorial glossary at the end of the book. The book is illustrated in blocks of background color, with photographs of vintage toys, and with simple diagrams of the insides of various tools and machines.

Verdict: This is a must-have for any school or library that serves preschool up through 2nd grade; curious kids are sure to spend plenty of time investigating the contents and adults may learn a few things as well!

ISBN: 9781338215458; Published September 2018 by Orchard Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library