e.encyclopedia [Hardcover]

Robin Kerrod (Author), Jen Green (Author), Ben Morgan (Author), David Glover (Author), Simon Adams (Author), Claire Llewellyn (Author), Andy Catling (Author), David Goldblatt (Author), Janet Sacks (Author), Jude Welton (Author), Adam Hibbert (Author), Fiona MacDonald (Author), Philip Steele (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

In partnership with Google, the most extensive and respected search engine on the Web, DK presents the e.encyclopedia, a revolutionary approach to children's reference publishing. A superbly illustrated general encyclopedia on the subjects children most want and need to learn about, the e-encyclopedia is classic DK quality publishing paired with cutting-edge design. Use it as you would any encyclopedia, and then take it to the next level. Nine thematic sections in the encyclopedia including space, earth, history and human body with coverage of over 600 subjects and links to over 1,000 approved sites plus sound buttons, virtual tours and live footage online. There's no need to be stuck with homework ever again. 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Respected educational publisher DK partners with the world's leading online search engine Google to create the innovative e-encyclopedia, a hefty, heavily illustrated hardcover reference book for young scholars that also refers its readers to their exclusive, kid-friendly web site. Featuring more than 2,000 full-color images, the book covers nine major subject areas: Space, Earth, Nature, Human Body, Science and Technology, People and Places, Society and Beliefs, Arts and Entertainment, and History. Each of the 600 entries provides illustrations and brief, easily digestible tidbits of information about everything from why the Rhine River is so important to Europe to what the brain is made of. If a grey "e" button is visible on the page, that means a treasury of online resources will be available when you search the DK/Google web site for the designated keyword--links that include animations, videos, sound buttons, virtual tours, interactive quizzes, databases, timelines, or real-time reports.

Say you want to learn about rockets. You look it up in the index and find it called out in bold for page 101. Here you'll see a photograph and a brief description of a rocket and how it works. You'll also find the gray "e" button, signaling you to type in "rockets" as a keyword into the given web site. Once you do that, you'll find the following kid-friendly links: 1) How do you launch a rocket from a spinning planet? 2) Launch the space shuttle into orbit beside the ISS, and 3) Visit a rocketry and space flight gallery. Children are also directed towards downloadable images and more directories of related links. Subjects such as metamorphosis provide less-satisfying results, as the page gives the briefest of explanations and a ladybug larva-adult diagram, but no keyword link to the special web site. Still, this useful book offers the possibility of hours of browsing, both on and off-line, giving kids a rich, multimedia learning experience while assuring parents of a kid-safe Internet zone. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin Snelson

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1st edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789498693
• ISBN-13: 978-0789498694
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,382,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Innovative Encyclopedia, November 23, 2003

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: e.encyclopedia (Hardcover)

"The key aim with e.encyclopedia is to give kids the best resources on paper and online." ~Sue Grabham

Since 99% of public schools in the United States claim to have internet access and more than half of all school-age children are using the internet for homework, e.encyclopedia takes homework to the next level.

This book presents information on everything from Space Observatories to Philosophy. There are annotated maps, charts and timelines. It also has "information keyword buttons." They are little gray dots with white words or white words highlighted in gray. They are easy to find and are blended in all over the pages. When looking at information on volcanoes, I find a button with the word: volcanoes and a highlighted word: Lava.

By entering the site URL to a special area of the DK/Google site, you can find more detailed information. Then, you type in the keywords to find additional information, real-time reports, satellite images, virtual tours and databases. There are also downloadable images and just about everything kids need for homework and projects.

So, say you are researching Ancient Greece and have traveled through this book arriving at say pg. 376. There, you will find a picture of The Parthenon, information on amphitheaters and even a picture of an Athenian coin. To access additional information, you go to the "DK/Google" site and type in the keyword: "Ancient Greece." This takes you to a page with more options.

Explore everyday life in Ancient Greece
Important sites in Ancient Greece
Find out more about the Ancient Greeks
Examine Ancient Greek Artifacts

Then you click on "Explore everyday life in Ancient Greece" and are transported into a page from the history channel. So, in this way, you can find information super fast. It does seem they have made every effort to make links to only reputable sites so parents won't have to worry about children encountering inappropriate material. There are links to more than 1,000 useful sites.

So, do you have to pay extra to use the e.encyclopedia website?

No, it is free. The website address is located on the first page of the book. Once you purchase the book, the website is free.

This book covers a wide variety of subjects including: Earth, Nature, Science and Technology, People and Places, Society and Beliefs, Arts and Entertainment, History and the Human Body.

I think they have gone out of their way to make this kid friendly, however, even adults might be interested in finding many of the links. I found the section on seeing how an embryo develops in the womb to be rather fascinating. The section on new materials was quite interesting. Could seaweed be used to make a new plastic? Apparently there is material called "Seagel" that is made from agar and is the lightest solid.

You will also find answers to the following questions:

Are mountains still growing?
What causes tides?
How do scientists use the Quantum Theory?
Why is a swimming pool deeper than it looks?
Who were the first philosophers?
How are Musical instruments categorized?
What is a nanomachine?
Who really invented the World Wide Web?
How does the Internet Work?

DK excels in the illustration department. You will find a toucan peering out of the page on pg. 233 and beautiful full-color illustrations on every page.

Picture highlights: The picture of the Hindu Marriage. What a dress! Loved the picture of the nanorobots and the pictures for the diatonms were rather pretty. Also, who knew a pollen grain was so beautiful. The photography is spectacular.

DK & Google have joined forces to make homework fun. There is so much information here, I could spend hours just looking through page after page. e.encyclopedia will give your children a basic overview of our life on earth. Not only will children find these facts intriguing, once they find a subject of interest, they can take their knowledge to the next level by continuing their research online.

What a brilliant idea!

~The Rebecca Review

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keywords for finding information are highlighted, December 7, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: e.encyclopedia (Hardcover)

This unusual 'e.encyclopedia' highlights any subject where you can get extra information on the web - reports, video footage, and even sound recordings. It's organized so keywords for finding such information are highlighted, making it easy for students to use this e-dictionary in conjunction with the computer - but the visual displays and color paired with the basic facts are plenty to also make this stand along as a superior reference. Highly recommended: a visual and practical treat illustrating the positive marriage between reference book and Internet.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!!, August 29, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: e.encyclopedia (Hardcover)

It is great, cool, and wonderful!!!! I really think it's helpful for kids of all ages!