I'm a science kind of girl. In fact, my undergraduate degree is in engineering. I think that I have always loved math and science. I can't say that there was any one thing in my childhood that helped pique my interests in this arena, I just know that I have always liked them.
Since I love science, I do try to expose my kids to concepts of science and math. I love taking them on visits to the science center. I also think I have a tendency to use math and science to explain things to them as well. I don't need for them to follow in my footsteps, but I'd like them to have a good foundation and not see either subject as scary.
The new book Meet Einstein by Mariela Kleiner and illustrated by Viviana Garafoli is a fun way to introduce your kids to science and the idea that science is every where around you. It opens by introducing the kids to Einstein and the word scientist. Then, by way of activities that a scientist might engage in, it explains a bit about what a scientist is. Then it moves on to the subject of light and shows different sources of light and types of light. Next, it talks about gravity, providing a nice simple definition that kids can relate to: "Gravity is the reason why things fall down to the ground". The illustration on this page shows kids at play sliding, falling and dropping things. It goes on to provide more information about gravity, including its relationship to the sun coming up in the morning and down every night. The book closes by connecting the light and gravity back to Einstein and a simple statement about "maybe you will be a scientist too".
The inside of the cover (is there a term for that?) is covered in images of things that you might associate with science and nature. There is the "Erlenmeyer Flask: is great for mixing liquids (or chemicals) without spilling" and "Microscope: to look at ity-bity stuff" and many more. I thought this was a cute little enhancement to the book.
I really like how the book touches on science in an informative, easy to understand way. The illustrations through out the book are well done. My daughter, who is four, really enjoyed the book and was upset when I took it out of her room to bring downstairs to look at while I typed. My son, who is seven, tells me that he "already knew all that stuff". Based on their perspective, I would think that this is a great book for a slightly younger set, evidently by the time you get to second grade, you know it all.
You can learn more by checking out the book website. You can also follow on http://twitter.com/MeetEinstein or Like on Facebook. The book is scheduled for release next Tuesday (March 1) and should be available at your favorite local or online retailer.
Want to enter to win a copy? The MamaBuzz team has a giveaway going on for Meet Einstein. You can find the Meet Einstein giveaway here.
No compensation was received for this post. A copy of Meet Einstein was provided through MamaBzz. All opinions expressed are my own.
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