I wondered if a dinosaur (and one dressed in Victorian style, at that) narrated a volume on computers, but as soon as Science Comics: Computers: How Digital Hardware Works opened with her talking about how this was her second option (the first was the Science Comics: Dinosaurs book, of course), they convinced me. Then he started breaking down and eating (!) a laptop, while explaining the components to us, and I was hooked.
Written by Perry E. Metzger and Penelope Spector and illustrated by Jerel Dye, this is a brilliant approach to explaining computers in an understandable, friendly and humorous way. We discover the basic idea behind a computer by watching Edna the Velociraptor (in an attractive pink dress and matching maroon hat) go through the motions of instructions, a central processing unit (CPU), registers, memory, etc. The classic “Hello, world!” The startup program has an output device consisting of an embroidery sampler.
The Victorian world, in addition to being visually entertaining, allows you to focus on concepts rather than hardware, as familiar elements are transported to another time and place. Plus, civilized dinosaurs are fun. Especially when Edna keeps complaining about having to embroider, given all her other skills.
As the story continues, a little dinosaur learns about binary and the reader also sees how logic gates and Boolean algebra work. Finally, a computer powered by pressurized air is built, something that can (and should) only be done in comics. Science Comics: Computers It is a wonderful installment in the series and an entertaining and very informative read.
(Review originally published in Good Comics for Kids).