Wheels Make the World Go Round: Simple Machines for Kids

Learn how simple machines make work easier in these colorful nonfiction picture books all about science and engineering!

If you were designing a wheelbarrow, how would you make it move easily when you pushed it? Skis? Stilts? Springs?

How about wheels? The wheel is a simple machine that has been used for centuries to make work easier for humans. Look at all the cars, trucks, trains, buses, and bikes around you. They all have wheels and axles! In Wheels Make the World Go Round: Simple Machines for Kids, readers ages 5 to 8 learn how wheels work along with axles and how they use mechanical advantage to make it easier to move heavy objects from one place to another. Plus, learn how wheels are used for more than transportation--ever seen a potter’s wheel spinning around? This was the first type of wheel to be invented!

Scientific concepts including forces and mechanical advantage come clear with engaging illustrations and lots of real-life examples that kids can spot in their home, schools, and neighborhoods.

An introductory poem offers language arts connections while a hands-on activity at the end reinforces concepts in the book. A glossary and photographs offer even more supplemental learning opportunities.

Wheels Make the World Go Round is part of a six-book set of Picture Book Science books designed to introduce young engineers to physical science concepts. Other titles are Wedges Make a Point, Inclined Planes Ramp It Up, Pulleys Pull Their Weight, Screws Keep Things Secure, and Levers Lessen the Load.

All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core state standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

Andi Diehn has written many books for children, and a few for adults as well. She works as an editor and marketer for Nomad Press and lives with her family in rural New Hampshire.

Micah Rauch is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator from the beautiful state of Montana. He received a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, and has illustrated several books for Nomad Press, including Kitchen Chemistry, Fairground Physics, and Crazy Contraptions.