The book has a logical and accessible layout. The introductory chapters (~25% of the content) cover some basic concept definitions, parts and supplies, sourcing items, a little history and background. The following chapters contain projects grouped roughly thematically: robots at home, for entertainment, robots in space, and working robots. Each of the project tutorials contains an introduction, time estimate, a supplies list, safety precautions highlighted with an exclamation mark, and step by step tutorials with photos. Sidebars and framed footers contain information about how the robots do what they do and further information and connections to STEAM subjects.
Throughout the book the vocabulary words which might be unfamiliar to readers are written in bold text and defined immediately negating the necessity of flipping back and forth to the glossary. The book also has pictures of young student creators. I liked that they seemed engaged in the projects that they were doing and looked like they were having fun. I also liked that the creative team made the effort to include a diverse group of kids in the tutorial photos (STEAM projects are for -everyone- and representation is important).
I've been banging on for years on my blog (and real life) about STEAM subjects and how vital they are for our future. This book would make a great choice for a classroom library, gift for a young creator, library activity project, or similar use.
Five stars, there's a lot to like here.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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