WHO IS A SCIENTIST?
By: Laura Gehl
Published: October 5, 2021
Publisher: Millbrook Press
Non-Fiction/Biography
Scientists are real people too and that was the push for Laura Gehl to write this book for kids. She hopes to let kids know there are all different types of scientists and they don’t just sit in a lab behind a microscope but in their free time, they like to surf and bake and eat tacos.
Each page spread is dedicated to one type of scientist. A female meteorologist who loves to dance, a male environmental scientist who loves to surf, a male mathematician who loves to play basketball, and a female mechanical engineer who also teaches exercise classes are just a handful of the scientists featured in this book.
In each of their brief bios, we learn about what they do for their job, but also what they like to do for fun including photos of them having fun and doing their job. There is a widely diverse group of scientists featured and a child will be able to identify with someone on the pages of this book. Reading this will allow them to think, “Wow! I like math and I can also like basketball.” I also appreciate that Gehl took care to find various scientists from around the world and from various cultural backgrounds.
The end of the book offers a few definitions of a scientist and a QR code to scan and meet each of the scientists featured. There is a flow chart that helps kids decide what kind of scientist they might want to be. For example, if you want to learn about the ocean and you like animals, you might want to be a marine biologist.
Gehl dedicated this book in memory of her dad, her first science teacher, and to all the scientists working today, which I loved. It’s never too early to get your kids excited about science and learning. You just never know, they might grow up to be an entomologist or an astronomer.
Meet all the scientists featured in this book in this fun video:
Free resources for WHO IS A SCIENTIST can be found, HERE.
Laura Gehl is the author of more than two dozen popular picture books, board books, and early readers including One Big Pair of Underwear, the Peep and Egg series, and Except When They Don’t. A former science writer and teacher, Laura holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and four children. To learn more, visit lauragehl.com.
To purchase a copy of WHO IS A SCIENTIST?, click the photo below:
See other books by Laura Gehl that I’ve reviewed, HERE.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under biography, Book Review, Children's books, Laura Gehl, non-fiction, science, STEM