DK Smithsonian's massive, visually stunning Picturepedia delivers on its promise of "an encyclopedia on every page." This hefty, 360-page reference book is not only stuffed with photographs--10,000 of them to be exact--it has illustrations, infographics, lists, timelines, facts and more covering everything from physics and space travel to racket sports and ancient Greece... just about any imaginable subject a child could find interesting.
Smithsonian experts explore topics such as "Where food comes from," breaking it down to basic food crops, cereals, dairy, etc. Easy-to-understand timelines show how women's fashion or technology have evolved, with accompanying photographs of dresses, or the Commodore personal computer. The final chapter covers difficult historical periods such as World War I and the Industrial Revolution, with the neat trick of simplifying for, without condescending to, young readers. Add some icky close-up shots of snails and frogs to the mix, and there really is something for everyone. --Hank Stephenson, bookseller, Flyleaf Books