If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers
by David J. Smith
illustrated by Steve Adams
published by Kids Can Press
The Blurb
"Some things are so huge or so old that it's hard to wrap your mind around them. But what if we took these big, hard-to-imagine objects and events and compared them to things we can see, feel and touch? Instantly, we'd see our world in a whole new way." So begins this endlessly intriguing guide to better understanding all those really big ideas and numbers children come across on a regular basis. Author David J. Smith has found clever devices to scale down everything from time lines (the history of Earth compressed into one year), to quantities (all the wealth in the world divided into one hundred coins), to size differences (the planets shown as different types of balls). Accompanying each description is a kid-friendly drawing by illustrator Steve Adams that visually reinforces the concept. By simply reducing everything to human scale, Smith has made the incomprehensible easier to grasp, and therefore more meaningful. The children who just love these kinds of fact-filled, knock-your-socks-off books will want to read this one from cover to cover. It will find the most use, however, as an excellent classroom reference that can be reached for again and again when studying scale and measurement in math, and also for any number of applications in social studies, science and language arts. For those who want to delve a little deeper, Smith has included six suggestions for classroom projects. There is also a full page of resource information at the back of the book.
My Two Cents
Two Words, folks: Mind Blowing! This book is too cool. It explores both time and space--and does it in a way that is truly fascinating. I am a new lover of non-fiction, and I honestly still stick with mostly biographies, but I'm so glad I read this book!
If you have an inquisitive kiddo, this book is for you.
If you homeschool and you're looking for some hands on ways to exhibit scientific fact, this book is for you. If you are a teacher and want to show some cool examples for your lesson, this book is for you.
I was amazed at the comparisons and I think you will be too! I can't wait to share this with my daughter!
Labels: 2014, illustrator love, love of reading, nonfiction, picture book