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Computer Coding Python Games for Kids
£12.50£14.20 (-12%)
With a 27% YOY growth rate, Python has had the most growth of any coding language globally and is the most popular coding language; it is the number 1 coding language in the UK (Source: Stack Overflow Data, 2017)
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Additional information
| Publisher | DK Children (5 July 2018) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Flexibound | 224 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0241317797 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0241317792 |
| Reading age | 9 – 12 years |
| Dimensions | 20 x 1.5 x 24 cm |
by My pen name
Ref the previous reviews saying the code doesn’t work. It’s now June 2020 and perhaps the book has been revised (though not mentioned in the front), but it is clear on page 53 for the first game how to run it. The instructions on pages 24 and 25 are clear. There are no errors with the “shoot the Apple” code given on page 198. The code is written for pygame zero so many packages are pre bundled into that eg Actor. If you are running within the idle editor then yes you will need to add references to packages that don’t need to be mentioned if running via pgzrun command.
This is a very clear and concise introduction to pygame zero and gives opportunity to develop and enhance the games that are included.
Negative is you have to type everything, the source code is not made available for download from DK.com, just the graphic files.
by tony
I like this series of books and have a library from maths to English. The python book is no exception it appeals to children walking them through sample apps. It gives clues to the logic of different kinds of games. There is a strong reliance on the gaming library which can be tricky on some devices and means that you don’t see immediate results this can be a bit off-putting for beginners. It does not take long to get past this stage with some help. All in all useful for getting started with games.
by My pen name
My Grandson will love this.
by Alex
I bought this book for my son. At all the places Actor is used as sprite, book never mentions to install actors module, the code directly starts from usage of Actor which was very confusing for my son.
Good is that book has simple games which would help kids learn language but starting took quite lot of time and research.
by Artistic
This is an initial review – it might get better in a few days!
First off, I don’t use Windows or Mac; instead, I use Chrome OS. Now this book, on page 18, tells me that “you’ll need to add two additional modules – Pygame and Pygame Zero”. Oh oh – not too hard if you are a Windows or Mac fan (the book provides instructions).
But for Chrome OS it doesn’t seem to be straightforward. Yes, I found an article on the web but so far I haven’t got it working (I need to change my Chromebook to developer mode – I think this may have some undesirable consequences).
Now, this is a 2018 book, so I would expect some mention of Chrome OS – after all, the OS is gaining traction in schools.
I will report back!
by Nitin
bought this for my 11 year old nephew. He loves his computer games, and is brilliant at Maths, but hates reading. I am happy to say that within an hour or so of receiving it, he had already downloaded python! Looks like it’s going to be a winner!
by M HOLLINGSHEAD
It made me very proud to see my 9 year old son coding the games from this book in Python. This wasn’t possible until after a bit of time was spent getting a working set libraries/modules installed on the PC to allow the Pygame Zero games library to operate. I fixed this on my Windows PC by installing Python 3.8.6 and then after following P18 steps 1 to 4 I downgraded the numpy module to 1.19.3. To do this type: pip install numpy==1.19.3 . I hope this helps everyone.
I know this isn’t D.K’s fault but it would have helped me if D.K. had an errata for this on their website. I hope that the Pygame Zero platform gets updated to enable it to work with a later version of Python because this book is excellent otherwise.
by R. Wilson
Great book – very easy to follow step by step instructions!