A fascinating and immersive look at the world's most famous underground constructions! From the prehistoric Cornwall tunnels and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent to the subway in Seoul and the Drammen Spiral, Big Digs does an awesome job of exploring each site, including their histories, pros & cons, and potential future changes.

(I see where other reviewers said that the inclusion of the Narco-Tunnels in Tijuana is in bad taste. Honestly, I'd think that kids at the intended reading age for this are probably aware of illegal drugs in some fashion. But if you're worried about it as a parent, teacher, librarian, etc. just be aware that it is included.)

The only downside to my reading experience is that the font was a bit difficult to read, due to it being an eARC. However, I know that in physical format this will 100% be one of those books that children sit and pore over for hours. The illustrations are so fun to explore! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fascinating nonfiction title takes readers deep beneath the surface of the earth to explore tunnels and underground engineering through history. Even the "Tunnel of Contents" is artfully designed to connect to the theme! Each of 21 engineering marvels is highlighted in its own two-page spread, featuring its geographic location, time/years of construction, and informative details about why and how it was built; several even require an orientation flip to view the interior vertically. The tunnels are diverse with respect to purpose and location, and the last speculates about the potential use of lava tunnels to establish settlements on Mars. Sure to delight budding engineers!

I've always been curious about what sort of underground constructions we've built throughout human history, so this book has been an incredibly insightful and informative read. The illustrations feature large two-page spreads of each location, detailing when these structures were built and for what purpose.

I love the illustrations and the different locations that were chosen to be featured in this book. While there are certain historically famous topics, such as the bunkers beneath the White House and Dover Castle, there were also fascinating underground structures that I had never heard of before, such as Quinta da Ragaleira and the Drammen Spiral.

I also appreciate how the book does not shy away from featuring structures that were built for unsanctioned means, such as the narco-tunnels in Tijuana and the tunnels that ran beneath the Berlin Wall. I think young adults will benefit greatly from reading about these different fascinating constructions and why they were built, though even I as an adult have learned so much from it.

I read this as an ARC via Netgalley, but I definitely want to purchase this book in print.