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The Comedy of Physics

How Machines Work: Zoo Break! by David Macaulay; DK Books, $19.99, 30 pages, ages 6-10.

A sloth and his rodent pal Sengi are attractions at the zoo, but one fateful day they decide their enclosure too boring. They hatch an escape plan, employing simple machines like a wedge, a lever, and a pulley. Will the critter successfully catapult themselves to freedom, or will they remain forever behind bars? David Macaulay continues to dominate the world of elaborate show-and-tells in this latest volume by expertly combining witty storytelling, sly humor, and smart science. Jemma Watson’s paper mechanisms bring Macaulay’s drawings to life, and the entire cover is a working gear, the manipulation of which either saves or sinks Sloth into a piranha-filled pond. Zoo Break! is an excellent introduction to Macaulay’s world, with plenty of simple machines to encourage scientific inquiry and motor-skill practice.

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“Lego® Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History,” by Gregory Farshtey and Daniel Lipkowitz; DK Publishing, $40, 256 pages, ages 8 and up.  

Budding architects and lifelong LEGO® collectors will have Lego® Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History, at the top of their gift lists this holiday season. Published by DK, this comprehensive volume chronicles the thirty-five year history of LEGO® minifigures. The company has been in the business of manufacturing plastic blocks since 1949, but minifigures didn’t appear until 1978, and they have covered bedroom floors and tripped unwitting parents worldwide ever since. Every minifigure ever created is cataloged here, and the book also includes significant details about particularly rare and sought after pieces. Author and LEGO® authority Daniel Lipkowitz is a story developer for the company and has authored other books dedicated to the iconic wedges. This hefty tome (weighing just under four pounds) will be a welcome addition in any collector’s reference library and likely encourage die-hard enthusiasts to expand their own ranks of tiny, molded figurines.  For the truly devoted, LEGO® created a complete miniature replica of the book on a 1:15 scale and can be gripped by minifigures’ claw-like hands.