The Rainbow Mystery

September 15, 2002
Reviewed with Melinda Luke's "Green Dog."

Gr. 1-3. In the paperback Science Solves It series, the young protagonists learn about science as they try to solve small mysteries. In Dussling's "Rainbow," Annie and her friend Mike are mystified by the small rainbows that appear on her wall during sunny days. After eliminating other rainbow producers they have observed (sprinklers, oil puddles), they look up prisms at the library and learn where to look for the source of their rainbows. In a second mystery by Melinda Luke, "Green Dog," Teddy goes into the pet-sitting business to show his parents that he is responsible enough to care for a dog of his own. When the water in the goldfish bowl and the ducks' wading pool turn green, he tries to find the cause. The simple stories and jaunty illustrations make both books pleasing choices. It's the science-mystery aspect, however, that adds that extra spark. Each book ends with a theme-related page titled "Think Like a Scientist," which compares scientists to detectives (both observe, make inferences, and draw conclusions) and asks questions based on the text or offers simple activities related to the story. Prisms and algae are phenomena kids have observed and may have wondered about, making these particular "mysteries" naturals for kids to investigate. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)