August 1, 2014
Scribblers and innovators will rejoice for Doorley's activity book--a full-color project guide for future artists, architects, and anyone who likes to create and tinker. Doorley (an arts educator, consultant, and host of the TinkerLab blog) believes that "at its core, tinkering begins with...problem solving or with a curiosity about how something works," and that when children "are encouraged to solve problems on their own, they learn a great deal through the questions and hands-on experiments that lead to a solution." Divided into four sections--Design, Build, Concoct, and Discover--the book begins with ideas for preparing space and purchasing and organizing materials, and includes parenting tips for fostering creativity and curiosity. VERDICT Young children will relish the projects provided here. From paper houses to marble runs to marker explosions, Doorley's designs have more of an engineering essence than those found in the standard arts and crafts book, and they will also take more preparation, but early educators, in particular, will delight in the volume's possibilities. For all budding inventors.
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