Nerdy Babies: Space

March 15, 2019
A quartet of curious babies wearing glasses and spacesuits explores the moon, the sun, and the planets. In speech bubbles, various babies ask questions ("Why are we floating?") or make comments ("It's so quiet"), leading to answers or information in the narrative text about gravity on Earth and sound in space. Using bright, bold colors and simple lines and dots, Kastner gives each planet personality and facial features. Mercury appears in sunglasses because it is "closest to the sun." (Caregivers will note that thanks to artistic license, Venus is depicted as magenta rather than dun.) The order of presentation is confusing, especially given its very young intended audience. One early spread shows the sun, "the center of our solar system," yet a schematic spread showing the sun surrounded by the planets occurs a few pages after information is given about Earth and its moon. Although the descriptions of the planets are simple--"Mercury is the smallest planet and closest to the sun. Venus spins backward!"--the topic is not one that is within babies' developmental grasp. The same babies (one black, one brown, and two pale) are back in companion title Ocean, exploring marine life at the surface and in the depths.The book is published in two bindings, conventional and board; given the complexity of the topic, use with preschoolers is recommended despite the "Baby" branding. (Informational picture book. 3-6)

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June 14, 2019

PreS-Young readers are encouraged to explore and learn in these two fun and informative books from the series. In Ocean, the Nerdy Babies learn about marine life both at the surface and deeper underwater. In Space, the babies travel to outer space, learning basic details about the solar system, including the sun, moon, and planets, as well as concepts such as gravity. At the end, each book introduces readers to respective STEM careers, astronauts in Space and marine biologists in Ocean. Kastner provides a cheerful, appealing introduction to science topics for young audiences. Her approach is simple, straightforward, and age-appropriate, making it easy for children to digest concepts that could otherwise be confusing or overly complicated. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and eye-catching, providing details and additional facts that eager and curious kids will enjoy spotting as they read. Both books feature a varied cast of babies, breaking the usual "nerd" stereotypes and showing that science is for everyone. VERDICT These simple science books will be a hit with budding scientists. Recommended.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

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