Howtoons: The Possibilities Are Endless!

We are going to buy lots of copies of Howtoons because it is so much fun, and because my kids feel that they have gained terrific freedom and special knowledge through the book. Our family has gifted kids who are rotten readers, and other kids who are gifted readers and to see them conspire over the back of a couch, giggling and scheming together is completely worth the price of a book. I bought some copies with the pretense of 'checking them out for the, uh, teachers, and other kids'. They haven't actually yet been given to teachers or to the other kids, although they've certainly been shown them. The drawings are terrific, the instructions are complete, the relations between the kids are natural (as we discussed) and the kids are planning to get more copies for their best friends. Me, I love this book. But I'm letting them think they are getting away with something. It's so much sweeter that way!

First off, I'm way too old to be reading children's books, but this one grabbed my attention -- it's pretty fascinating. I bought this book for an 11 year old based on a friend's recommendation and I thought I'd give it a little read before I wrapped it. It's near impossible to put down, totally taps into the inner child, and it's beautifully illustrated. Highly recommended for kids and big kids.

Don't think of this as merely an instruction book, it's a portable imaginarium. Sure, it explains the hows and whys of easy to create projects, but it also inspires young minds to think outside the box and explore their inner creativity. The beauty of it is how the projects are designed around easy to come by products, without a heavy outlay of money, a wonderful change in this Nintendo and Playstation driven world. Nick Dragotta's art makes it accessible and fun for boys AND girls, and is probably his best work to date, even moreso than his work on Marvel's "X-Statix". I can't recommend this book enough!

Despite the fact that science and engineering are -more than ever- cornerstones of our everyday lives, the act of designing and building a thing aren't seen as fun. Until now. The authors draw on their deep understanding of technology and creatively demonstrate their extreme passion for engineering. With HOWTOONS, parents will inspire, and kids will find the joy in math and science. I am very happy that something like this finally came on the market and hope that there's more to follow.

I have been a big fan of this strip ever since it came out in Make magazine. And this new book is awesome because it has so many more projects. I am in my early 20's and me and my friends fun with the projects. My favorite by far is the ice cream one.