The wonders of the natural world never cease to amaze me. Following swiftly in the footsteps of Built by Animals and Invented by Animals, Powered by Plants showcases a magnificent assortment of vegetation whose impressive array of attributes inspire innovations in human technology.
Plants are awesome and many of them have genuine superpowers that humans could only dream of. With their variety of shapes, their incredible structures and their ability to interact with other living things, plants are the problem-solvers, disease-curers, clean-energy-producers and material-makers that the world needs. Plants have always known that they are plant-astic and now humans are studying, copying and taking inspiration leading to incredible and important innovations in science, technology, design and engineering…
The power and unique properties of plants pack an almighty punch in this fun, informative and thought-proving non-fiction book. Crammed with fun details and colourful illustrations, Powered by Plants is a glorious celebration of plants and the wonders of nature. With an impressive amount of interesting facts and some seriously cool vegetation, it is a superb effort to educate children about the ways in which nature supports our world and how plants will be used in the future.
Beginning with a welcome message from Tumbleweed, plants are grouped into six sections (Structures, Robotics, Energy, Health, Sustainability and Materials) and merrily introduce themselves, their amazing properties and how they are being used by scientists, physicists, engineers and more. With Clive Gifford as expert guide, readers are taken on a knowledge-rich journey that explores a variety of vegetation including plenty of celebrity super-plants that really are the next big thing, if they aren’t already.
The current and potential uses of plants is incredible; coconut shells could be the secret to strengthening concrete buildings and making them more robust during earthquakes, pomelos are inspiring crash protection in helmets and vehicles, kelp holds the key to turning the energy in sea waves into electricity, sugarcane could be the provider of an environmentally-friendly fuel of the future, flax seed glue could be nature’s answer to a sticky situation and aspirin from the willow tree has been providing pain relief for over one-hundred years. There’s even talk of a tumbleweed Mars Rover with the capability to explore the red planet at a much more rapid pace. With looks to the past, present and the future, it is guaranteed to leave you looking at plants in a whole new light! With huge thanks to Allen & Unwin and Quarto for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review. Recommended for 8+.
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