This book is a hoot (imagine saying that about a book about safety engineering). The author introduces us to her “main characters” of sorts—the crash-test dummy, more accurately an entire family of crash-test dummies and a crash-test dog. The dummies come in all sizes. She brings up an obese dummy and an elderly one, more frail and with brittle “bones.” A valid addition what with the Boomer generation driving longer than is healthy for others on the road. (Yes, we should most certainly Uber everywhere or hire a chauffeur. But that’s another book). There is a pedestrian dummy and one that rides a bicycle to help self-driving cars to interact with bicyclists. Great photographs and illustrations of the dummies. Pictures of older and futuristic cars, failed safety features from the early years of the automobile, and other historical moments add color and fun. The diagrams help explain the intricacies involved.
For the grammar sticklers out there, I did find a typo or two, which I’m sure was an error of the copyeditor as the author knows her grammar. If one of those had not been my pet peeve, I wouldn’t care, but non-possessive plurals with apostrophes drive me crazy. Fortunately, it’s in the back matter, but a section some children will want to read: “So You Want to Be an Engineer?” Something to think about for the second printing.
Even those who don’t think they enjoy engineering will be pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed every page (and learned something, too). I knew I would because I read ASTRONAUT and AQUANAUT by the same author and enjoyed that, too. Jennifer Swanson writes in a lively voice, not allowing the reader to become bored. She makes the more difficult aspects of safety engineering accessible through her comparisons.
Highly recommended, especially for children interested in vehicles and engineering. Free teachers’ Guide available from the publisher, Peachtree Publishing Company. #safetyfirst
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