50 real machines, from the forklift in your neighbourhood to the Space Shuttle at 17,500 mph. Full-colour cutaways, real engineering, zero jargon — built for kids who ask "but how does it actually work?"
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Got this for my son who loves anything with wheels, wings, or engines, and it's been a hit. Fifty machines covered - rockets, excavators, F1 cars, cargo ships - with clear explanations of the actual engineering, not just cool pictures. The full-color diagrams make tricky concepts easy to follow, and the 120+ pages are broken into short sections that are perfect for bedtime reading or quick browsing.
What parents and grandparents are saying
Your kid sees a firetruck, a big ship, or a rocket blasting off, and asks how it works. Most books just show a cool picture and move on. This book actually explains it, in words a kid (and you) can understand right away.
Fair warning: it's the kind of book that gets you 100 questions after they've read it.
Every machine gets its own two-page spread: a big picture, an inside view that shows how it works, and two fun boxes, Did You Know and Secret Fact, that kids love to read out loud. Did you know a firetruck can fill a bathtub with water in one second? Or that a race car can go so fast it could drive upside down on the ceiling of a tunnel? That's the kind of fact on every page.
You don't need to read it start to finish. Pick any machine and read about it in five minutes, done. That makes it just as good for a quick bedtime story as it is for a homeschool lesson or a long car ride when your kid needs something to flip through.
From the forklift on your street to a rocket that reaches 17,500 mph. Every machine your kid has ever pointed at is in here.
Race cars, fast trains, and even trains that float above the tracks. How they go so fast without flying off the road.
Excavators, cranes, forklifts: the machines that move mountains of dirt and steel, cutaway and explained.
Firetrucks, ambulances, including exactly how a firetruck pump can fill a bathtub every single second.
Supertankers, cargo ships, submarines. How something the size of a skyscraper floats, and holds 4 million bathtubs of oil.
The biggest, fastest, and strangest machines on Earth: the ones built to break records, not just do a job.
Hot air balloons to the Space Shuttle, including how a surface can glow at 3,000°F while the crew inside stays fine.
Most books either show cool pictures or explain how things work, but almost never both, and almost never in a way a 6-to-12-year-old can actually follow.
Most books either show cool pictures or explain how things work, but almost never both, and almost never in a way a 6-to-12-year-old can actually follow.
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How Big Machines Actually Work
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Others
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Full-colour pictures that show how it works
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50 real machines covered
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Real step-by-step explanations, not just captions
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Did You Know + Secret Fact on every page
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Written for ages 6–12, not dumbed down
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8 free experiments to try at home
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Enjoyed reading with my nephew. He was interested.
Long, emotional review from an adult who taught himself mechanics as a kid; says a kid with this book would keep it their whole life.
The pictures and the visuals really made this book special! I think this book is great to get kiddos exposed to reading using text features. I know my students loved it!
I just finished the first part on elevators. This author put a lot of work into this publication. It laid out in an easy to view and read. Thr illustrations are a huge plus. This is a fun book at my age is fun to learn the inter intricacies of big machines . Highly recommended
This book has it all... Pictures that draw you in, a coffee table book for everyone. Stats for each machine's function and examples of usage. There's diagrams and details that are creating more curiosity. I'm so glad we have this book in our collection!
Great book. Finally had a chance to show some of it to one of my grandsons, as he loves anything equipment related. He thought it was cool!
Birthdays, holidays, or just because. This is the book that gets opened first and read cover to cover, not the one that ends up back on the shelf. Full-colour pages, 50 real machines, and answers that actually stick.
50 real machines. Explained in a way kids actually understand. The book that turns "I wonder how that works" into an answer they'll remember, and repeat to everyone who'll listen.
Get Their Copy Today50 real machines. Explained in a way kids actually understand. The book that turns "I wonder how that works" into an answer they'll remember, and repeat to everyone who'll listen.
Get Their Copy TodayEach spread is built around a hook fact first, then the explanation. Most kids flip straight to the machines they already like, then keep going out of curiosity.
Ages 6–12. Younger kids tend to gravitate to the Did You Know and Secret Fact boxes first, older kids read the full explanations.
This listing is for the physical, full-colour printed edition: 120+ pages.
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For United States orders, delivery usually arrives within 4 to 6 business days after dispatch.
International orders generally arrive within 5 to 10 business days, though delivery times may vary depending on your location and local customs processing.
Once your order ships, you will receive a tracking number so you can follow the delivery progress.
You can reach our support team via email through our contact page, and we will respond as soon as possible.
Ages 6–12. Younger kids tend to gravitate to the Did You Know and Secret Fact boxes first, older kids read the full explanations.
Yes, we ship to many countries worldwide. Shipping availability and options will be shown at checkout.
You can reach our support team via email through our contact page, and we will respond as soon as possible.