The Book of Time

Unravel the mysteries of time, from the Maya calendar to Einstein's wormholes, in this fun and fact-filled exploration for young readers.

In this thought provoking book, curious readers will discover all kinds of fascinating information about how and why we think about time. Chapters on mythology discuss Chronos, Janus, and the legend of the Phoenix. Others look at how different cultures perceive time--as a straight line or in circles? Young readers will learn how animals and plants tell time, how the study of longitude and latitude is related to clocks, and why an hour used to last one hundred minutes. Along the way, they'll encounter historic time pieces such as sundials, chronometers, and Al-Jazari's famous 12th-century elephant clock. The book also invites readers to ponder important questions about what time means to us today: can you actually save time? Can you run out of it? And is it really better to accomplish more in less time? These concepts are introduced in accessible chapters and illustrated with vibrant drawings. Absorbing and world-enlarging, this elegant book explores a challenging concept in an engaging way that encourages discussion and further learning.

KATHRIN KÖLLER is a translator and journalist specializing in children's and youth media. Her film I Will was nominated for the Berlin Children's Theater Awards. She lives in Berlin, Germany.

IRMELA SCHAUTZ is an award-winning illustrator of books for children as well as general science books, biographies, international literature, magazines, and newspapers. She teaches at the Academy for Illustration and Design in Berlin, Germany.