From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K–Another winner from the author and illustrator of
I Face the Wind (2003) and
I See Myself (2002, both HarperCollins). This book tackles the subject of gravity. The language and sentence structure are simple, but the concept is never oversimplified. Using the same format as in the previous titles, Cobb presents a series of experiments for parents and children to do together, allowing youngsters to explore, discover, and then return to the text to have that learning reinforced. The clean lines and crisp colors in Gorton's graphic illustrations have lots of child appeal, and the creatively sized and colored typography further amplifies each concept. For example, when the text suggests that youngsters allow a spoonful of molasses to dribble back into the jar, the words, printed in a brown font, stretch, swirl, and descend accordingly. A refreshing and welcome addition to science collections.
–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PreS-Gr. 1. This new entry in the Science Play series begins with a practical page for parents, urging them to gather the simple materials needed for the gravity exercises before beginning to read aloud to their children. The main text encourages kids to experiment with gravity by tossing different objects into the air and observing the comparative speed at which they fall and the force with which they land. Using white space well, the digital illustrations offer clearly defined images with a distinctive, retro look. Their eye-catching pizzazz will help hold the attention of the audience, but the book's real purpose will actually take place outside its pages. Attuned to the learning style of young children, Cobb's questions and suggestions offer kids the experience of the scientific process rather than the drone of simplified information. The text ends rather abruptly, but along the way it offers many chances for learning through play.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
