Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science

September 15, 2020
With an amped-up sense of wonder, the Science Guy surveys the natural universe. Starting from first principles like the scientific method, Nye and his co-author marvel at the "Amazing Machine" that is the human body then go on to talk up animals, plants, evolution, physics and chemistry, the quantum realm, geophysics, and climate change. They next venture out into the solar system and beyond. Along with tallying select aspects and discoveries in each chapter, the authors gather up "Massively Important" central concepts, send shoutouts to underrecognized women scientists like oceanographer Marie Tharp, and slip in directions for homespun experiments and demonstrations. They also challenge readers to ponder still-unsolved scientific posers and intersperse rousing quotes from working scientists about how exciting and wide open their respective fields are. If a few of those fields, like the fungal kingdom, get short shrift (one spare paragraph notwithstanding), readers are urged often enough to go look things up for themselves to kindle a compensatory habit. Aside from posed photos of Nye and a few more of children (mostly presenting as White) doing science-y things, the full-color graphic and photographic images not only reflect the overall "get this!" tone but consistently enrich the flow of facts and reflections. "Our universe is a strange and surprising place," Nye writes. "Stay curious." Words to live by. Wordplay and wry wit put extra fun into a trove of fundamental knowledge. (contributors, art credits, selected bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)

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Starred review from November 1, 2020

Gr 6-9-Nye's middle grade science text covers a wide range of topics, including the human body, zoology, botany, evolution, laws of motion and thermodynamics, plate tectonics, and the solar system. Nye and coauthor Mone provide clear explanations and a springboard for further exploration. Photographs of Nye, colorful diagrams and graphics, and accessible and humorous language work in harmony to create an appealing and highly informative work. The inclusion of brief biographies (astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell and cartographer Marie Tharp), pop culture references (scrawny Steve Rogers's transformation into Captain America is described in the discussion of muscle development), and quick home experiments (use salt and food coloring to learn about water density and ocean currents) add additional layers of investigation. Pages are devoted to examining climate change and other forms of human impact as well as debunking common myths used by science deniers. Readers are empowered to explore and question the world around them. VERDICT A timely and eco-conscious children's science book. Combine the effervescent and enduring appeal of Bill Nye with solid science and the result is a winner.-Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State Univ., OH

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