cover image The Stick Book: Loads of Things You Can Make or Do with a Stick

The Stick Book: Loads of Things You Can Make or Do with a Stick

Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks. Frances Lincoln (www.franceslincoln.com), $14.95 trade paper (128p) ISBN 978-0-7112-3241-9

"The stick is perhaps the best-loved toy of all time, the starting point for endless adventures," note Schofield and Danks (Make it Wild!: 101 Things to Make and Do Outdoors) in their opening chapter. Here, they've collected dozens of activities, games, and crafts that use sticks as their basic ingredient for fun. Almost every idea is given both a full-color photograph and a page of instructions, so the book works best as inspiration. The projects are clearly ranked from one stick to three, with the three-stick projects requiring an adult's supervision. While the simplest selections%E2%80%94a game of (Winnie the) Pooh Sticks or making a loom for wild weaving with found natural objects%E2%80%94are easily grasped, some of the more complex projects%E2%80%94such as the one-string guitar or sun clock%E2%80%94need much more instruction than provided. This handy volume would be especially well-received by children who have access to a large swath of the outdoors, or those going on a camping trip. For future Henry David Thoreaus and Rachel Carsons, this book will open up new worlds outdoors. (Mar.)