Book Review: ‘The Children’s Book of the Future’

I’m very excited to be reviewing The Children’s Book of the Future – for two reasons. First, I have been reunited with one of my favorite publishers, DK. They set the standard for beautiful, educational books for all ages. I used to review DK’s books a lot on GeekDad, but that fell away during the pandemic. Now I am teaming up with them again to bring you reviews of their lovely books, starting with their new “Summer of STEM” collection for 2024 (As ever, I’m late to the party!). The second reason I’m glad to be reviewing The Children’s Book of the Future is that it’s co-written by one of my favorite authors, Lavie Tidhar.

What Is The Children’s Book of the Future?

The Children’s Book of the Future is the perfect fit for GeekDad readers. It’s a “science future” book based on modern scientific development. It looks at the short to medium-term future, for Earth and everything that lives on it. Many of the ideas in the book are fanciful, but they are rooted in real science. Some of its ideas may be science fiction today, but there is a good chance that, in the future, they will become science fact.

The book is an 80-page hardback written by Lavie Tidhar, a writer of excellent science fiction, and futurist Richard Watson. It is beautifully and evocatively illustrated by Cinthya Álvarez. The Children’s Book of the Future is broken into four sections. Within each section are small two-page stories, followed by double-page spreads of fact-based explanations of the science that underpins those stories.

Part 1 is “The Earth,” which examines how transport, cities, and healthcare might evolve. Part 2 focuses on life on land and sea, looking at what the future of Earth’s flora and fauna might be. Part 3 blasts off into the solar system, examining the possibilities of life on the moon, Mars, and the mining of asteroids. In the final part, the book looks even further into the future. Starships to Tau Ceti and alien encounters are just part of what you’ll find here. This section also has a great explanation of a Dyson Sphere, a term I had vaguely heard of, but was unsure what it meant.

Why Read The Children’s Book of the Future?

This book is a great balance of explanations of existing well-understood science combined with descriptions of the latest cutting-edge research. It then offers some fascinating, imagination-prodding, extrapolations of where these discoveries might take us. All of this is beautifully packaged in a way that will inspire readers young and old. The first thing that struck me as I flicked through The Children’s Book of the Future was that, despite its title, it is not just a book about the future. It explains many existing scientific principles and technologies, such as the use of minerals in our mobile devices. It also examines some of the very real problems we are facing now – climate change and biodiversity are two subjects that sit at the book’s core.

The book is wonderfully inclusive as befits a book about the future of the entire planet. The Children’s Book of the Future offers its readers a positive and inspiring vision of the future. It’s a book that educates while simultaneously promoting creative thought. It asks us to imagine not only the potential of the planet, but also the potential of every individual to make a difference to the world(s) in which they live. Invigorating stuff!

If you would like to pick up a copy of The Children’s Book of the Future you can do so here, in the US, and here, in the UK. (Affiliate Links)

If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.