Journey through the periodic table of elements – all you need is some adrenaline-pumping curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a well-stocked pantry!

From Sean Connolly, the master of messy and dangerous science books – which together have 615,000 copies in print – comes an introduction to chemistry for kids age 9 and up, a perfect addition to his STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) titles. Each fully illustrated chapter focuses on a single element—first describing its properties, how it was discovered, and even its potential danger level. Then easy-to-follow experiments help readers put their newfound knowledge into action by using everyday household ingredients such as light bulbs, eggs, and fridge magnets.

Sodium: Make “hot ice” by crystallising vinegar and baking soda into sodium acetate.

Neon: See how this gas emits light by powering a light bulb with static electricity.

Iron: Submerge steel wool in vinegar to see how this metal oxidises.

And phosphorus: Play cat detective by using ultraviolet light to locate bad cat smells! Elements are the building blocks of our world – and The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry is a building block to our understanding them.