Special Children's Edition: I don't often review children's books, but our friends at JKS Communications were kind enough to send me a copy of MEET EINSTEIN, and I had to share my comments. Since I'm fortunate to have adorable nieces who enjoy bedtime stories, I have been stunned at the craftsmanship of a good children's book. And there are a lot of good ones out there. The breezy wit, the humour, and the ability to enchant in just a few short pages is a skill I so envy , and it's accompanied by incredible art. It's a slim little gift every time. And people like to think children's book writing is easy. Tut tut.
Now I'm the one demanding a new story at bedtime when I visit my girls.
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h
This book is a success on so many levels; it’s hard to list them all. First, it’s difficult to imagine that the age group targeted (2-4 years) would care who Einstein is, much less want to meet him. But the book explains that everyone is really a scientist. Everyone who asks questions, that is. And have you ever met a child, who, as soon as they could speak, did not begin to ask questions? "Why” has to be the favorite word in any toddler’s vocabulary.
Now I'm the one demanding a new story at bedtime when I visit my girls.
********
h
This book is a success on so many levels; it’s hard to list them all. First, it’s difficult to imagine that the age group targeted (2-4 years) would care who Einstein is, much less want to meet him. But the book explains that everyone is really a scientist. Everyone who asks questions, that is. And have you ever met a child, who, as soon as they could speak, did not begin to ask questions? "Why” has to be the favorite word in any toddler’s vocabulary. The story behind this book is charming. This is the debut children’s book publication for the author, Mariela Kleiner. She allowed her 2-year old daughter to choose a “grown up book” for a bedtime story, and Hailey chose Einstein’s Relativity. (Um, wow.) To make the book a little more accessible to her daughter, Ms. Kleiner wrote Meet Einstein.
Mercifully, Meet Einstein stays away from the Theory of Relativity, and focuses on light and gravity. (I can't believe I just wrote that sentence.) The author talks about the different colors of light, and why things fall to the ground every time. The book ends with some cool questions for parents to ask their budding scientists, which is a great conversation starter. Plus, there are some interesting things to know about Einstein, and ends with some fascinating scientific facts. It’s almost like a baby book club reader’s guide.
And the illustrations are a delight! The illustrator, Viviana Garofoli, has illustrated over 20 children’s books in addition to other projects. And she brings such a sense of fun to the topic of science. Of course, the curiously- coifed Einstein contributes a lot, but Ms. Garofoli adds an adorable dog as a sidekick, and some very helpful frogs. And of course, we see the children all over the world who are learning about light and gravity along with us. I liked the end papers that defined all of the scientific tools and how they are used.
I hope this is the beginning of a series (“Meet Leonardo”, “Meet Madame Curie”, etc.). This is the perfect introduction to science. Not only does it introduce science before it becomes a scary topic, it makes science easy to understand, makes it fun, and makes it accessible. Also, it may present a good point for us grown-ups to keep in mind: children aren’t really trying to drive us mad with their questions. They are just scientists in training.
Author: Mariela Kleiner
Illustrator: Viviana Garofoli
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Meet Books, LLC (March 1, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0615389738
