13 Series – serie

There's something irresistible about a skyscraper. It can reshape an entire city skyline and from the building's top floors, people can see the world from a different perspective. Travelling from New York City to Dubai, from London to Shanghai, and from Kuala Lumpur to Chicago, this colorful book featuresdouble-page spreads for each of the skyscrapers it profiles. Each chapter includes photographs, information on the building's architect and history, and interesting facts about its construction and use. For instance, why is the Chrysler Building so admired, even though it doesn't stand nearly as tall as other skyscrapers? How do you measure the height of a building and how do you make sure it doesn't topple over in strong winds? How has skyscraper technology changed, from the steel frame skeletons that supported the earliest towers to the advanced computer programs that are now needed to design buildings more than 100 stories high? How has city life changed since the first skyscrapers were built? Written in a style that will draw in young readers, this fascinating tour of the world's tallest buildings will satisfy even the most curious minds.

Everybody is a designer! But why? Why do we color, organize, and form the world around us - and why do we call that a profession? In this book, Thonik, an Amsterdam-based studio led by lauded designers Nikki Gonnissen and Thomas Widdershoven, researches eleven personal reasons why they design - from the need to create impact to a constant search for independence; from the benefits of systems to the urgency of play. Why We Design looks back on twenty-five years of design practice and speculates on the future of graphic design.

Children's fascination with buildings is a natural outgrowth of their curiosity about anything strange or huge or complex. This unique book brings together thirteen architectural wonders that have intrigued children for years. Through activities such as games, quizzes, drawings and other activities, it teaches them the history behind each of the buildings, and presents fascinating facts about the design, historical use, and construction techniques. This book features pyramids built by men with pulleys, a tower that leans, an opera house shaped like a sailboat, a museum built like a spiral, and the most recent example, a bird's nestA" stadium where the 2008 summer Olympics were held. Each of these buildings and more are introduced to young readers through lively texts and illustrations that will serve to heighten their interest and knowledge about the world's most important architecture, and perhaps inspire them to dream and build on their own.

People of all ages are fascinated by Mona Lisa's beguiling smile, Van Gogh's hypnotic night sky, and Frida Kahlo's depiction of herself with a monkey. These paints and ten others are featured in the book in large reproductions with accompanying details. The readable text offers biographical information about each artist and important facts about the painting's technical and historical aspects. Games, quizzes, and colouring exercises provide additional opportunities for young readers to interact with the artworks, while a timeline throughout the book allows for easy historical orientation. Readers will return again and again to these works, which provide continued opportunities for contemplation and discovery.

A winged, headless goddess from the third century; a gigantic tube of toothpaste; a tribal mask; a Buddha of solid gold - these are some of the creations featured in this book of sculptures that children will be able to learn from whilst having fun. Children naturally respond to shape, size, texture and colour, and will hugely enjoy this close look at thirteen of the world's most fascinating sculptures, including works by Michelangelo, Rodin, Giacometti, and Bourgeois. Shaped from wood, stone, metal and plastic, these artworks tell us much about the culture in which they were created. Each page is filled with colourful photographs and accessible information about the work, the artist who created it and the world in which it was made. Various games and puzzles enhance this introduction to three-dimensional masterpieces, which is certain to whet its young readers' appetites for more.

It's never too early to introduce children to art. Featuring thirteen painters from a variety of historical periods and styles, this book demonstrates just how interesting and exciting art can be. From the fantastic images of Hieronymus Bosch to the romantic idealism of Titian, the gorgeous colours of Cezanne to Jean-Michel Basquiat's African- and street art-inspired figures - each painter is presented in chronologically arranged double-page spreads that feature beautiful reproductions, interesting facts, biographical information, and comparisons to other painters. Fun to read and informative, this latest addition to the "Children Should Know" series offers young readers inspiration and encouragement to develop a further interest in all kinds of art.

What's the difference between watercolour and gouache, or between a collage and an assemblage? How are frescoes and mosaics made? Why do prints look so different from each other? These questions and others are explored through major works of art in dazzling colour reproductions. Children will learn about drawing through cave paintings and Leonardo's sketches, they will understand how Holbein and van Gogh used oil paints to vastly different effect or what Henri Matisse accomplished with coloured paper and a pair of sharp scissors. Along the way they will be encouraged to make their own masterpieces using similar techniques to the masters.

The bridges profiled in this engaging book for young readers have achieved legendary status. Filled with photographs, plans, drawings and informative texts it explores the fascinating history, construction, design and significance of 13 renowned structures in a manner that will appeal to children hungry for information. In double-page spreads that highlight important as well as little-known facts, they will learn about the building of the Millau Viaduct, the tallest bridge in the world; how the Golden Gate bridge lives up to its evocative name; the haunting history of Venice's 16th-century Bridge of Sighs, and the ingenious construction methods devised by the builders of the Brooklyn Bridge. Vibrantly designed to encourage children to linger and explore the subject further, this book will appeal to curious minds, and inspire its young readers to dream and build on their own.