In an engaging introduction to gravity, a day at the beach unexpectedly turns into a surprising science lesson. In the first few pages, a young cape-clad boy plays with his spaceman and rocket ship on the rocky beach until he discovers a book on gravity. The boy is drawn into the book and soon his toys and other earthly objects are illustrating gravitational principles. The toy spaceman, rocket ship, pail, and shovel, along with a nearby pitcher of lemonade, spin above the earth. Jason Chin explains that without gravity the moon and the sun, just like the toys, would drift away from the earth. “Gravity keeps the earth near the sun, the moon near the earth,” and gravity also keeps objects on the earth. Punctuated text — a few short words per page — provides an accessible definition of gravity and its effects. The accompanying illustrations complement and reinforce the text while the story offers humor and a narrative structure in this simplified, but not diminished, explanation of a complex concept. (Ages 4–8)

What keeps objects from floating out of your hand?
What if your feet drifted away from the ground?
What stops everything from floating into space?
Gravity.

As in his previous books, Redwoods, Coral Reefs, and Island, Jason Chin has taken a complex subject and made it brilliantly accessible to young readers in this unusual, innovative, and very beautiful book.

Chin's approach makes this book a must-have common core tool for teachers and librarians introducing scientific principals to young students.

A Neal Porter Book