I assumed from the title that this book might be about making cute papier-mâché mobiles. However, this – the second title of the new Popular Mechanics for Kids series – is about making mechanical gadgets that work with lights, batteries, motors, or buzzers. The See It Hear It Doorbell, Alarm in a Box, and four other projects in this book are definitely very, very cool.

This is not a do-it-fast book. Every project has between four and a dozen sections, each with four or five steps. Most require some purchased materials, a power tool, and adult assistance. But kids will be extremely proud of the nifty items they make, such as a doorbell for their room that buzzes and lights up.

Teco Rodrigues’ illustrations provide clarity and amusement. Montreal author Amy Pinchuk, who has a PhD in engineering and runs a communication and navigation systems consulting firm, has an aptitude for writing clear instructions. Pinchuk has tested these projects with her four children and handily anticipates which errors, human or mechanical, may occur. After each step, the Test This! sections help uncover if glue is gumming up the works or old batteries are slowing things down. Boxes with the caption “Zoom In on Popular Mechanics” give information about the processes that make the gadget work. Other boxes contain interesting related facts, one suggesting that a form of batteries may have been used before 500 BC. In addition, the glossary defines unfamiliar terms such as circuit diagram, while how-to tips explain such tasks as splitting speaker wire. All this in 64 pages truly gives buyers a lot of bang for their buck.