SCIENCE MAKES IT WORK SERIES:
Secrets of the Snow Globe
&
The Wonder of Color
by
CATHERINE STIER
Categories: Picture Book / Science / STEM (ages 4-8)
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.
Date of Publication: March 1, 2022
Number of Pages: 32 pages
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After starting to collect snow globes with the help of her grandmother, Lily has questions. She wants to know who invented them, what the snow is made of, and how the tiny scenes look so magical when she peers inside. As she researches and experiments, Lily learns about light waves, magnification, and density—all while gathering ingredients to make her own snow globe.
When Ms. Vega announces a mural painting contest at school, James can’t wait to draw a picture to fill the library wall. But as he explores color, he has a lot of questions about where color comes from and how our eyes see it. As he experiments and reads, James learns about prisms, the color wheel, and light waves—all while working on his colorful contest entry.
After starting a snow globe collection with the help of her grandmother, Lily becomes fascinated by the science behind these small scale scenes.
The story vividly captures the inquisitive nature of a child’s discovery of the world around them. Having read and reviewed a few of the author’s previous books, I am such a fan of how she is able to seamlessly incorporate vocabulary into the story that challenges young readers without being discouraging. As Lily learns about the elements that help make snow globes function, readers learn right along with her. This is an excellent selection for readers who typically enjoy fictional picture books, but may need to include more non-fiction into their repertoire. A solid and unique reading experience that would pair excellently with budding scientists as they create their own snow globes for a fun activity.
The illustrations are realistically portrayed, but have a very whimsical touch that certainly adds charming visual representation to all of the heartfelt emotion and curiosity expressed throughout the story. The illustrations help make the science seem less intimidating and enhance the engagement of the story more so than perhaps photographs would have done. The science becomes fun and much more relatable.
My own elementary age children were thoroughly entertained and continued to ask when we could make our own snow globes. I look forward to sharing more of these books with them as we learn more about the everyday science that surrounds us!
Five stars.
Catherine Stier is the author of more than twenty children’s books including the SCIENCE MAKES IT WORK picture book series and the Kirkus star-reviewed A DOG’S DAY chapter book series. She holds a master’s degree in reading and literacy and has served as a magazine writer, newspaper columnist, and writing instructor. Stier resides in San Antonio, Texas.
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FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,
or visit the blogs directly:
| 3/9/22 | Guest Post | Reading by Moonlight |
| 3/9/22 | BONUS Promo | Hall Ways Blog |
| 3/10/22 | Review Book 1 | All the Ups and Downs |
| 3/10/22 | BONUS Promo | LSBBT Blog |
| 3/11/22 | Review Book 2 | Jennifer Silverwood |
| 3/12/22 | Fun Facts | Shelf Life Blog |
| 3/13/22 | Fun Facts | Jennie Reads |
| 3/14/22 | Review Book 1 | Stories Under Starlight |
| 3/15/22 | Review Book 1 | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 3/16/22 | Scrapbook Page | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 3/17/22 | Review Book 1 | That’s What She’s Reading |
| 3/18/22 | Review Book 2 | The Page Unbound |
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Love that you and the kids enjoyed the book so much — and lucky for you the author shared how to make a snow globe on one of the tour stops! Thanks for a great review & cute bookstagram!
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