How does my home work? by Chris Butterworth

Ill. by Lucia Gaggiotti. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406363784
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. STEM. Home appliances. Electricity. All the things we do not think about in the home: how does a switch turn on the light, how does the fridge work, where does the gas come from to keep us warm, where does the waste water go, how does it get to the house, and so on, are questions answered in this easily understood hymn to the house and what happens inside its walls. A double page is devoted to each new idea. The first tells us about the things we do each day without thinking about it, while over the page a double page image of the plan of a house shows the services in and out: the electricity, gas, water in and water out. Further on we have a double page showing where our electricity comes from, discussing turbines, coal and nuclear power, solar, wind and water power. Further over and we see where the water we use in the house comes from and how it gets to the house, followed by a look at where water is used in the house and what happens after it is used. Another double page shows the treatment of used water and what happens to it.
Each page is clear and well illustrated with a simple but not simplistic text. A double page at the end of the book shows how energy can be saved within the house, and this is followed by a brief index and websites for more information. All in all a wonderfully informative and clearly presented book on the basic services which come to us everyday in our house.
Fran Knight