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The Spectacular Science of Art

From the Renaissance to the digital age
Brief Description
The Spectacular Science of Art is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about colours, perspective, and symmetry. Questions include: What is colour theory? How do artists use maths in their paintings? How do scientists spot forgeries in a laboratory? And many,... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Find out about the fascinating science behind the vibrant world of art.

Find out about the fascinating science behind the vibrant world of art

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Spectacular Science of Art is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about colours, perspective, and symmetry.

Questions include: What is colour theory? How do artists use maths in their paintings? How do scientists spot forgeries in a laboratory? And many, many more!

The bright illustrations by Moreno Chiacchiera will encourage science-hungry children to pore over every detail and truly get to grips with the science that underpins everything around us. Information is delivered on multiple levels by expert author Rob Colson, allowing readers to dip in and out at speed, or take a deep dive into their favourite subjects.

There are so many wonderful titles to discover in the Spectacular Science series, including Space, Buildings, Planet Earth and more!

Series: Spectacular Science

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  • Light: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our World
    This exciting non-fiction picture book introduces young readers to the spectacular science of light. Light: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our World is the extraordinary energy that illuminates our world. It is essential for life on Earth – it powers plants, keeps us warm, and helps us to see. From the award-winning author of Nano, comes a fascinating narrative introduction...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Planet Earth
    Discover the answers to all those tricky science questions that children ask about earthquakes and volcanoes, weather, and geology. What causes an Ice Age? How does a diamond form? What makes the continents move? Find the answers to these questions and many, many more in The Spectacular Science of Planet Earth! Written by Rob Colson and with bright, busy artworks...
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  • The Spectacular Science of the Human Body
    The Spectacular Science of the Human Body is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about their bodies — and that parents often struggle to answer. Questions such as: What are the different parts of our brain, and what do they do? How do vaccines work? What is DNA, and how do we inherit it? And...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Space
    The Spectacular Science of Space is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about planets, stars, and galaxies - and that parents often struggle to answer. Find out what gravity is, how we know about the Big Bang, what it's like to live on the International Space Station, and lots, lots more! The bright, busy artworks...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Buildings
    The Spectacular Science of Buildings is guaranteed to answer all those tricky questions that children ask about buildings, bridges, and other structures – and that parents often struggle to answer. Find out: How did the Egyptians build the Great Pyramid of Giza? How can skyscrapers keep getting taller? How do guests stay warm in an ice hotel? And lots, lots...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Inventions
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    The Spectacular Science of Inventions
    The Spectacular Science of Inventions is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about machines, technology, and gadgets – and that parents often struggle to answer. Discover who built the first robots, how a text message is sent, if the James Webb telescope revolutionised our knowledge of the Universe, and much, much more! The bright, busy...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Vehicles
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    The Spectacular Science of Vehicles
    The Spectacular Science of Vehicles is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about cars, trains, ships and planes – and that parents often struggle to answer! Find out how a Maglev train floats on air, what happens when you break the sound barrier, how modern airports and container ports work and many, many more! The...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Inventions
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  • The Spectacular Science of Planet Earth
    The Spectacular Science of Planet Earth is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about earthquakes and volcanoes, weather and geology — questions that parents often struggle to answer. Did you know what causes an Ice Age? Or how a diamond forms? And where can you stand in a dinosaur footprint? Answers to all of these...
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  • The Spectacular Science of the Living World
    The Spectacular Science of the Living World is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about animals, plants, habitats, and ecosystems. Questions include: when and how did life first appear on Earth? How do trees communicate with each other? What are the Great Extinctions? And there are answers to many, many more! The bright, busy artworks...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Vehicles
    The Spectacular Science of Vehicles is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about cars, trains, ships and planes—and that parents often struggle to answer—such as: How does a Maglev train float on air? What happens when you break the sound barrier? How do modern airports and container ports work? And many, many more! The bright,...
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  • Light: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our World
    Pre-order
    Light: The Extraordinary Energy That Illuminates Our World
    A vibrant introduction to the science of light – the extraordinary energy that illuminates our world. Have you ever watched the sky at night? Even when it looks very dark outside, the night sky is never completely black. There is always LIGHT on our planet. From the author of bestselling Nano, comes a fascinating non-fiction picture book exploring the science...
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    $1999
    Pre-order
    Out 25 Feb 2027

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781035075676

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 March 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pan Books

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Moreno Chiacchiera

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 5.0mm

Width: 236.0mm

Height: 280.0mm

Weight: 242g

Pages: 48

About the Author

Rob Colson is an author and editor of a wide range of books for children and adults, including many natural history, math, and science titles. Previous titles as author: Wayland: Ultimate Cars, Ultimate Machines (Wayland); Super Science (Franklin Watts). Other titles: Bone Collection: Animals (published by Scholastic), Puzzles, Conundrums, and Enigmas (published by Parragon). Contributing author to Battle (DK). Moreno Chiacchiera is an Italian illustrator who has published dozens of history, math, and science books for children. His bright, busy artworks are full of intriguing details that children love to explore in great depth.

Also by Rob Colson

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  • Continents Uncovered: Asia
    Discover some of Earth's most spectacular places on the continent of Asia! Uncover the unique features of Asia, from the wide variety of habitats and landscapes to the cultures of the peoples that inhabit the continent. Explore the heights of the Himalayas and the depths of Lake Baikal, the cold Gobi Desert, the rainforests on the island of Borneo and...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Planet Earth
    Discover the answers to all those tricky science questions that children ask about earthquakes and volcanoes, weather, and geology. What causes an Ice Age? How does a diamond form? What makes the continents move? Find the answers to these questions and many, many more in The Spectacular Science of Planet Earth! Written by Rob Colson and with bright, busy artworks...
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  • The Spectacular Science of the Human Body
    The Spectacular Science of the Human Body is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about their bodies — and that parents often struggle to answer. Questions such as: What are the different parts of our brain, and what do they do? How do vaccines work? What is DNA, and how do we inherit it? And...
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    Maths is all around you, it can be seen everywhere in nature and in the human-made world. In Fractions, discover how we use fractions and decimals to, among many other things, share a pizza, play music and tell the time. Simple artworks illustrate each concept to help visual learners get to grips with mathematical concepts and to encourage children to...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Space
    The Spectacular Science of Space is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about planets, stars, and galaxies - and that parents often struggle to answer. Find out what gravity is, how we know about the Big Bang, what it's like to live on the International Space Station, and lots, lots more! The bright, busy artworks...
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  • Maths All Around You: Calculations
    Maths is all around you, it can be seen everywhere in nature and in the human-made world. In Sums, simple artworks illustrate each concept to help visual learners get to grips with mathematical concepts and to encourage children to open their minds to how maths plays an important part of the buildings we live in, the games we play and...
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  • Maths All Around You: Statistics
    Maths is all around you; it can be seen everywhere in nature and in the human-made world. In Statistics, learn how to conduct research and display numbers in brightly coloured pie charts, find out how to take a census, and discover how statistics help to track the weather. Simple artworks illustrate each concept to help visual learners get to grips...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Buildings
    The Spectacular Science of Buildings is guaranteed to answer all those tricky questions that children ask about buildings, bridges, and other structures – and that parents often struggle to answer. Find out: How did the Egyptians build the Great Pyramid of Giza? How can skyscrapers keep getting taller? How do guests stay warm in an ice hotel? And lots, lots...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Inventions
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    The Spectacular Science of Inventions is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about machines, technology, and gadgets – and that parents often struggle to answer. Discover who built the first robots, how a text message is sent, if the James Webb telescope revolutionised our knowledge of the Universe, and much, much more! The bright, busy...
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    Pre-order
    Out 20 Oct 2026
  • The Spectacular Science of Vehicles
    Pre-order
    The Spectacular Science of Vehicles
    The Spectacular Science of Vehicles is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about cars, trains, ships and planes – and that parents often struggle to answer! Find out how a Maglev train floats on air, what happens when you break the sound barrier, how modern airports and container ports work and many, many more! The...
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  • Pre-order
    Maximum Speed
    Discover some of the fastest vehicles ever made! From deafening dragsters to a rocket car that is faster than the speed of sound, these are vehicles that push the extremes. Find out about the fastest cars on the planet, and learn what it takes to drive them to maximum speed. The book explores how cars and motorbikes have evolved over...
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  • The Spectacular Science of Inventions
    The Spectacular Science of Inventions is guaranteed to answer all those tricky science questions that children ask about machines, technology and gadgets – and that parents often struggle to answer – such as: Who built the first robots? How is a text message sent from one smartphone to another? Why will the James Webb telescope revolutionise our knowledge of the...
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