Review : LEGO, Chain reactions

In fact, it's a bit more complicated than that.

The book is accompanied by 33 LEGO bricks that allow you to make the first model presented, the most basic, among the 10 experiences offered. Six plastic LEGO marbles are provided and a slew of pre-cut paper items are included.

In order to move forward and build the more elaborate models presented over the pages, you will have to make intensive use of your personal collection, assuming that you have enough basic parts to assemble the various necessary elements. In total, you need nearly 200 pieces (2x4, 2x6, 2x8 bricks, plates, etc ...) to be able to reproduce all the models presented.

Then, you will have to integrate the ramps and other paper elements provided so that the balls can evolve on your constructions following the action of the various levers, rockers, hammers, etc ...

Nothing to say about the editorial content of the book, it is very well translated, the proposed experiences are detailed and abundantly illustrated, even a very young fan will get by. Each chapter allows you to discover in passing some physical principles related to the setting in motion of the proposed constructions.

The placement of the paper elements, however, is laborious. The paper is really very thin and these ramps are not exceptionally stiff. This results in a bit of frustration when it comes to realigning a bend or straightening an element, knowing that these scraps of paper have to be combined with LEGO pieces to ensure their hold.

Another problem is that the lifespan of the kit as a whole is inevitably reduced by the limited possibilities of reusing these numerous paper elements. It will be necessary to remain vigilant and not to throw away the various paper accessories on pain of not being able to reproduce one or more of the models proposed.

If the idea of ​​proposing a box which makes it possible to understand the principle of chain reactions via a few playful constructions is excellent, the realization is a little less so with few supplied parts and too many paper elements. A few plastic ramps would have been welcome, although they are not "official" LEGO products.

It would also have been necessary to go even further in the concept by offering a real complete kit that can be used without relying as much on the bricks that the user may have available. As it stands, this set does not allow much to be done ... However, the use of LEGO bricks is only a pretext here to introduce the reader to the principle of chain reactions and this book is therefore intended in theory to a larger audience than LEGO fans.

This set is not a bad product, it lives up to the promise made to introduce the youngest to a few physical principles. But parents who want to gift it to their children should be warned: If they're not LEGO fans with a big drawer full of parts already, frustration will likely be in order.

[amazon box="2374930904"]