Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building by Ed Stackley, et al

Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building features practical instructions to building 25 impractical machines.

Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building: Make 25 Machines that Really Work! By Ed Steckley, Jennifer George, and Zack Umperovitch. Abrams, 2024, 234 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-15

You may not know (I didn’t) that Rube Goldberg was a real person who published his first invention cartoon in 1912. By 1950 his name had become an adjective in the dictionary. To wit: “Of, relating to, or being a contrivance that brings about by complicated means what apparently could have been accomplished simply.” I also didn’t know that there’s an annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest for individuals and teams, where students can turn junk into contest gold by using a few mechanical principles.

We get to those principles first, with an examination of simple machines such as the wedge, pulley, lever, screw, inclined plane, and wheel and axle. With the aid of energy (e.g., thermal, chemical, hydraulic), young inventors are ready to try their hand at building prize-winning machines at home. These are arranged in 5 levels from beginner to advanced, determined by the number of steps required to accomplish the task.

What tasks? We begin by putting flowers in a vase with the aid of a balloon, running water from a faucet, papers towels, and a large cooking pot. As water flows into the balloon, the balloon sags into the sink, which pulls the paper towels toward the sink, which tips the flowers toward the vase, and with luck they’ll slide right in. Each machine receives detailed step-by-step instruction that readers (whose mothers don’t mind a little mess) can easily follow.  From opening a book to putting on a hat to watering a plant, mechanically-minded kids who love elaborate projects will find plenty to keep themselves occupied. And may even learn something about mechanical causes-and-effect. Ed Steckley illustrates in a style easily recognizable from Mad Magazine and suited to the book’s goofy tone. But there’s a useful glossary, alternative options for each machine, and tips and tricks that may inspire further machines.

Bottom Line: A fun plunge into the Rube-Goldberg approach that could spark creative ingenuity.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Resource: Go Build Something! Engineering books for boys (and girls)
• Reviews: The story behind famous structures includes Who Built That? Bridges, The Wild River and the Great Dam, and anything by David Macaulay.

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