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Gravity
What keeps objects from floating out of your hand? What if your feet drifted away from the ground? What stops everything from rising up into space?
Gravity.
In this unusual, innovative, and beautiful book, Jason Chin introduces young readers to this fundamental force, taking a complex subject and making it understandable. The perfect book for all young scientists.
Gravity.
In this unusual, innovative, and beautiful book, Jason Chin introduces young readers to this fundamental force, taking a complex subject and making it understandable. The perfect book for all young scientists.
32 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2014
18 people are currently reading
1004 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
October 1, 2014
I wasn't impressed with it. It basically gives a few statements and that is the whole picture book. There is back matter that explains a bit more but left me unsatisfied. It uses the word mass as part of information about gravity, then defines it, poorly, in the next page. I wouldn't have picked up on the distinction between mass and weight if I hadn't gone back and reread the paragraph. That can be a difficult concept, and the distinction between mass and weight was not well explained, I felt. The analogy with the string of how gravity works, didn't do much for me either. It makes me want to imagine gravity as a number of strings. I think Chin struck out with this book which is a shame since a really good simple book on gravity is needed for STEM these days. I will say that the illustrations remind me of Wiesner, the Caldecott winning perennial.
December 7, 2020
I love Jason Chin's non-fiction picture books and GRAVITY is a strong new addition to his repertoire. The illustrations are gorgeous, the info is simply written and easy to follow in a circular story, and he provides more factual information (beyond the simply told basics in the story) at the end that is still written in a fun to read way. I also love that his book shows up in the illustrations as part of the story.
June 17, 2019
Author/artist Jason Chin, whose many wonderful works of picture-book natural history include
Redwoods
,
Coral Reefs
and the recent
Grand Canyon
, explores the scientific concept of gravity here. In simple text, he sets out the importance of gravity, not just in keeping objects (and atmosphere!) tethered to our world, but in keeping our world revolving around the sun, and our moon orbiting us. The accompanying artwork is immensely engaging, vividly capturing the beauty of the cosmos, and the magic of flying objects liberated (in theory) from gravity.
With no more than a word or two per page, Gravity is not a text-heavy book, and focuses more on emphasizing the central importance of gravity, rather than exploring what it is. There is an informative afterword that provides more details, but overall I would say that this was a title suitable for much younger children, who might upon occasion ask something like: "why does everything fall down, instead of floating away?" Gravity itself is not something we completely understand yet, a reality that Franklyn Mansfield Branley highlighted in his own picture-book about the subject, Gravity Is a Mystery . For parents and educators looking to teach younger children about this subject, I would recommend combining these two books, as the Chin title offers an imaginative introduction, and the Branley a more scientific approach.
With no more than a word or two per page, Gravity is not a text-heavy book, and focuses more on emphasizing the central importance of gravity, rather than exploring what it is. There is an informative afterword that provides more details, but overall I would say that this was a title suitable for much younger children, who might upon occasion ask something like: "why does everything fall down, instead of floating away?" Gravity itself is not something we completely understand yet, a reality that Franklyn Mansfield Branley highlighted in his own picture-book about the subject, Gravity Is a Mystery . For parents and educators looking to teach younger children about this subject, I would recommend combining these two books, as the Chin title offers an imaginative introduction, and the Branley a more scientific approach.
November 22, 2014
In very simple and very understandable words - sometimes only one per page - Jason Chin explains what gravity does and why it is so important. He doesn’t say what it is until an Afterword, in which he supplies more (but not exceedingly) complex details about gravity. I think he does a great job.
The watercolor illustrations also by Chin are striking, while also playful and fun, choosing objects to depict that will resonate with children.
The author said in an interview:
"I want kids to read my books and be really excited about the topic and want to know more .… I want the books to be something that gets them curious and makes them wonder, and sparks their imaginations.”
He certainly achieves his goals.
Evaluation: This book offers a great way to get small kids (lower elementary) interested in science.
The watercolor illustrations also by Chin are striking, while also playful and fun, choosing objects to depict that will resonate with children.
The author said in an interview:
"I want kids to read my books and be really excited about the topic and want to know more .… I want the books to be something that gets them curious and makes them wonder, and sparks their imaginations.”
He certainly achieves his goals.
Evaluation: This book offers a great way to get small kids (lower elementary) interested in science.
March 20, 2021
Gravity is a simple, informative, entertaining, and beautiful picturebook about a complex concept: the force of gravity.
Although the text itself is only a few sentences long, the back matter has a little bit more information, which is easily understandable and accompanied by more explanatory - and whimsical! - illustrations.
Although the text itself is only a few sentences long, the back matter has a little bit more information, which is easily understandable and accompanied by more explanatory - and whimsical! - illustrations.
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July 25, 2025Reminiscent of some of the David Wiesner books I read when I was younger.
June 28, 2014
Richie’s Picks: GRAVITY by Jason Chin, Roaring Brook, April 2014, 32p., ISBN: 978-1-59643-717-3
“What goes up must come down”
--Blood, Sweat & Tears
Why must it come down? Why, gravity, of course!
“Gravity makes objects fall to Earth. Without gravity, everything would float away. The Moon would drift away from the Earth. The Earth would drift away from the Sun. Luckily, everything has gravity.”
Most of us take gravity for granted. But when gravity ceases functioning, the words making up the text of Jason Chin’s GRAVITY float away, making them part of the fun, high-flying visual tale about the fundamentals of this physical force.
The letters in those words accompany a young boy’s toy astronaut and toy spaceship, his banana, sand bucket, and scores of other miscellaneous objects that have previously been sitting on a beach but are now floating away from Earth. Meanwhile, the young boy grabs hold of a boulder and stays put.
Eventually, after some further textual and visual explanation of how gravity works, the force resumes its pull and everything drops back to Earth. The young boy’s toys and snack end up falling into a yard where some young girls had been operating a lemonade stand. Meanwhile, their pitcher of lemonade, which had floated away, fortuitously lands in the hands of the boy at the beach.
A two-page author’s note explains even more about gravity and related concepts such as mass and orbits.
This is great science for the very young.
Jason Chin is able to do weightlessness and gravity like nobody’s business. Through his artwork, I can feel what it is like to be adrift in space where objects have little or no weight.
The cover, which reminds me of being a child and watching the NASA broadcasts of sunrise from outer space, surely has to be the cover of the year.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
“What goes up must come down”
--Blood, Sweat & Tears
Why must it come down? Why, gravity, of course!
“Gravity makes objects fall to Earth. Without gravity, everything would float away. The Moon would drift away from the Earth. The Earth would drift away from the Sun. Luckily, everything has gravity.”
Most of us take gravity for granted. But when gravity ceases functioning, the words making up the text of Jason Chin’s GRAVITY float away, making them part of the fun, high-flying visual tale about the fundamentals of this physical force.
The letters in those words accompany a young boy’s toy astronaut and toy spaceship, his banana, sand bucket, and scores of other miscellaneous objects that have previously been sitting on a beach but are now floating away from Earth. Meanwhile, the young boy grabs hold of a boulder and stays put.
Eventually, after some further textual and visual explanation of how gravity works, the force resumes its pull and everything drops back to Earth. The young boy’s toys and snack end up falling into a yard where some young girls had been operating a lemonade stand. Meanwhile, their pitcher of lemonade, which had floated away, fortuitously lands in the hands of the boy at the beach.
A two-page author’s note explains even more about gravity and related concepts such as mass and orbits.
This is great science for the very young.
Jason Chin is able to do weightlessness and gravity like nobody’s business. Through his artwork, I can feel what it is like to be adrift in space where objects have little or no weight.
The cover, which reminds me of being a child and watching the NASA broadcasts of sunrise from outer space, surely has to be the cover of the year.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
May 10, 2014
I find myself smiling every single time I read Gravity written and illustrated by Jason Chin. The blend of text and illustrations is stunningly conceived and executed.
My full review: http://bit.ly/SBNtne
My full review: http://bit.ly/SBNtne
June 8, 2014
Like evolution, gravity is "just a theory" but, as this book wonderfully illustrates, the universe would be quite a mess without it.
November 5, 2016
The writing was too simplistic for art this complex and beautiful. Didn't mesh well.
May 25, 2021
Do you ever wonder why the Earth always stays where it is? Or why things don't just float away, and what would happen if we did? Lean in close and don't float away as Jason Chin answers these questions and more, in Gravity.
Jason Chin uses expository informational texts to explain what gravity is by defining it and explaining what it does, as explained in Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 15. Gravity, gives the reader an understanding of what gravity actually is and what would happen if there was no gravity, making it a prime example of a descriptive informational text. This is seen throughout the books, entirety with its illustrations assisting the reader to visually understand the text.
Gravity was an enticing book with all its beautiful colors and information at the end of the book. From the eyes of my seven year old, the colors grabbed her attention and the simple wording made the book easier to read on her own.
If Gravity, made an impact on you Space: A Complete Picture of the Universe, and The 8 Planets: Solar System Picture Book For kids might too. Enjoy!
Jason Chin uses expository informational texts to explain what gravity is by defining it and explaining what it does, as explained in Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 15. Gravity, gives the reader an understanding of what gravity actually is and what would happen if there was no gravity, making it a prime example of a descriptive informational text. This is seen throughout the books, entirety with its illustrations assisting the reader to visually understand the text.
Gravity was an enticing book with all its beautiful colors and information at the end of the book. From the eyes of my seven year old, the colors grabbed her attention and the simple wording made the book easier to read on her own.
If Gravity, made an impact on you Space: A Complete Picture of the Universe, and The 8 Planets: Solar System Picture Book For kids might too. Enjoy!
December 2, 2020
Gravity is an informational book with simple facts, accompanied by brilliant illustrations, about gravity.
According to Children’s Literature, Briefly, in order to determine if you’ve found a quality informational text, one can check for the five A’s: authority, accuracy, appropriateness, artistry, and appearance. In my opinion, this book satisfies each of these.
The authority, or qualifications of the author, and the accuracy of the information presented, are both evident when you get to the end of the book and see the many resources used. The book is clearly intended for early readers, as the information is not too complex, yet still teaches basic concepts. This checks off the appropriateness. The artistry and appearance are both satisfied by the outstanding artwork throughout the book, along with the easy to read text. The illustrations will easily keep a reader engaged, as there is so much to look for on each page, look for the book within the book!
I would recommend this book for an early reader to introduce the concept of gravity and to enjoy the artwork. If you enjoy this book, check out another book, Coral Reefs, by the same author, Jason Chin.
According to Children’s Literature, Briefly, in order to determine if you’ve found a quality informational text, one can check for the five A’s: authority, accuracy, appropriateness, artistry, and appearance. In my opinion, this book satisfies each of these.
The authority, or qualifications of the author, and the accuracy of the information presented, are both evident when you get to the end of the book and see the many resources used. The book is clearly intended for early readers, as the information is not too complex, yet still teaches basic concepts. This checks off the appropriateness. The artistry and appearance are both satisfied by the outstanding artwork throughout the book, along with the easy to read text. The illustrations will easily keep a reader engaged, as there is so much to look for on each page, look for the book within the book!
I would recommend this book for an early reader to introduce the concept of gravity and to enjoy the artwork. If you enjoy this book, check out another book, Coral Reefs, by the same author, Jason Chin.
May 25, 2021
Gravity by Jason Chin is an informational picture book which illustrates and describes what can happen if gravity did not exist. The beautiful illustrations support the limited text and help the reader visualize and understand the gravity of what could happen if we did not have gravity.
According to Children’s Literature, Briefly, the 5 A’s that should be used when evaluating an informational text are: authority, accuracy, appropriate, artistry, and appearance. The author does have the authority to write this text, as noted by his website. According to his website, he was won 15 separate awards for his books throughout the years and all of his books are nonfiction. He spends time outside researching his topic prior to writing his books. The text also is very accurate in the information it provides, both in the story and in the facts about gravity at the end of the book. These facts can be verified through independent research. Lastly the combination of illustrations and text make this an appropriate text for very young children in primary grades. Although this book does not contain a lot of literary artistry, sometimes those literary devices may be unsuitable for very young children. The book presents an attractive appearance which engages and draws in the reader to continue learning about gravity.
For teachers interested in using this book in their classroom, here is a link for a read-aloud which can be projected on your Smart Board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjU-G...
According to Children’s Literature, Briefly, the 5 A’s that should be used when evaluating an informational text are: authority, accuracy, appropriate, artistry, and appearance. The author does have the authority to write this text, as noted by his website. According to his website, he was won 15 separate awards for his books throughout the years and all of his books are nonfiction. He spends time outside researching his topic prior to writing his books. The text also is very accurate in the information it provides, both in the story and in the facts about gravity at the end of the book. These facts can be verified through independent research. Lastly the combination of illustrations and text make this an appropriate text for very young children in primary grades. Although this book does not contain a lot of literary artistry, sometimes those literary devices may be unsuitable for very young children. The book presents an attractive appearance which engages and draws in the reader to continue learning about gravity.
For teachers interested in using this book in their classroom, here is a link for a read-aloud which can be projected on your Smart Board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjU-G...
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May 27, 2021Gravity explains the fundamentals of gravity through beautiful artwork.
Gravity is an informational text. I think is book is a good example of an informational text. According to Children's Literature, Briefly, there are 5 checkpoints in evaluating an informational text. I could not find any information about the author Jason Chin to see what qualifications he has. Although the first 17 pages are pretty repetitive, the last page has accurate information. This book is very appropriate for the intended audience. This story has good repition which falls under the literary artistry. And lastly, the book's attractive appearance is very good as it has beautiful illustrations.
I give Gravity a 4/5 stars. I think this a good informational text as it passes most of the checklist. I loved the illustrations and I read that the author painted it himself.
Gravity is an informational text. I think is book is a good example of an informational text. According to Children's Literature, Briefly, there are 5 checkpoints in evaluating an informational text. I could not find any information about the author Jason Chin to see what qualifications he has. Although the first 17 pages are pretty repetitive, the last page has accurate information. This book is very appropriate for the intended audience. This story has good repition which falls under the literary artistry. And lastly, the book's attractive appearance is very good as it has beautiful illustrations.
I give Gravity a 4/5 stars. I think this a good informational text as it passes most of the checklist. I loved the illustrations and I read that the author painted it himself.
July 22, 2021
What if? This book asks just this question about gravity and what would happen if there was none. Gain a glimpse of our universe as if gravity did not exist. Jason Chin does a wonderful job getting a young reader introduced to the sometimes complex understanding of gravity. The words are few and basic yet they help the youngest of minds to begin thinking about science. Although this is a non-fiction book, it reads and looks like a picture book. It is illustrated so beautifully that you forget that you are learning! If you are looking for something different and stimulating for your little reader, check this book out today.
Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
July 10, 2024
I enjoyed the illustrations but found the story hard to follow along with.
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November 22, 2020Gravity by: Jason Chin
What does Gravity do?
If you would like to become informed, join in reading an introductory text that allows readers to access an in depth matter while being illustratively pleased.
Children's Literature Briefly states that the best nonfiction books are appropriate for their intended audiences. They do not talk down to readers but are successful in making complex concepts comprehensible. This children's informational text did just that. This book is a wonderful introduction for younger readers going into the journey of understanding a much larger subject.
Grade Level: Pre K - 2nd
If you enjoyed this book I recommend Locomotive by: Brian Floca
What does Gravity do?
If you would like to become informed, join in reading an introductory text that allows readers to access an in depth matter while being illustratively pleased.
Children's Literature Briefly states that the best nonfiction books are appropriate for their intended audiences. They do not talk down to readers but are successful in making complex concepts comprehensible. This children's informational text did just that. This book is a wonderful introduction for younger readers going into the journey of understanding a much larger subject.
Grade Level: Pre K - 2nd
If you enjoyed this book I recommend Locomotive by: Brian Floca
November 13, 2020
The flow of this book was kind of weird. It's written for a younger audience than Chin's other books, but it's such a tough concept, I'm not sure how it would go over. I didn't read it to my kids because I wasn't that impressed. Jason Chin's Grand Canyon is still one of my favorite picture books. Maybe my expectations were just too high?
December 26, 2016
This fascinating book reads like a child's fantasy, but is a great introduction to gravity for young children!
Gravity
by Jason Chin
A Neal Porter book, Roaring Brook Press, 2014
ISBN 978-1-59643-717-3
Picture book, nonfiction, narrative
32 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 23 x 29 cm
Dewey: 531; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 5.3
YHBA 2016-2017 picture book nominee
5 out of 5 stars
This book is a wonderful hybrid between a fantastical story and an informational text. It is a great way to introduce the concept and study of gravity to young children. The story begins up in the sky and through a series of five pages explains that "gravity...makes...objects...fall...to earth." The object falling to earth turns out to be a book about gravity.
The book falls to the spot where a young boy is playing on the beach with a toy astronaut and rocket ship. The lesson on gravity continues with learning that "without gravity, everything would float away." As with the book being pulled to earth as we read about that gravity fact, everything on the beach now floats away as we learn about lack of gravity. The young boy manages to hold onto a boulder, and the reader now accompanies the astronaut, rocket ship, and other beach items as they float into space.
The book then explains that gravity keeps the sun, earth, and moon in alignment and ends with restating that gravity makes objects fall to earth. The twist to the story is that the spaceman and astronaut have not fallen back to the boy on the beach, but have landed amidst young girls operating a lemonade stand.
Chin's whimsical and close-up, super-real, style of illustrations, combined with the fanciful story, remind me of Bill Thomson books: Chalk, Fossil, and The Typewriter. Be sure to read the final page, where we see the boy on the beach in shock as he catches a pitcher of lemonade that falls from the sky. The boy and girls have inherited each others' items that defied gravity. Once readers understand the switch that occurs, they need to go back to other images in the story and they will see hints they might have missed during the first reading.
The story itself is not going to replace any classroom lessons about gravity, but the book would make a fun introduction or accompaniment to such a unit. There is additional information about gravity in the back of the book, as well as a bibliography.
Gravity
by Jason Chin
A Neal Porter book, Roaring Brook Press, 2014
ISBN 978-1-59643-717-3
Picture book, nonfiction, narrative
32 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 23 x 29 cm
Dewey: 531; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 5.3
YHBA 2016-2017 picture book nominee
5 out of 5 stars
This book is a wonderful hybrid between a fantastical story and an informational text. It is a great way to introduce the concept and study of gravity to young children. The story begins up in the sky and through a series of five pages explains that "gravity...makes...objects...fall...to earth." The object falling to earth turns out to be a book about gravity.
The book falls to the spot where a young boy is playing on the beach with a toy astronaut and rocket ship. The lesson on gravity continues with learning that "without gravity, everything would float away." As with the book being pulled to earth as we read about that gravity fact, everything on the beach now floats away as we learn about lack of gravity. The young boy manages to hold onto a boulder, and the reader now accompanies the astronaut, rocket ship, and other beach items as they float into space.
The book then explains that gravity keeps the sun, earth, and moon in alignment and ends with restating that gravity makes objects fall to earth. The twist to the story is that the spaceman and astronaut have not fallen back to the boy on the beach, but have landed amidst young girls operating a lemonade stand.
Chin's whimsical and close-up, super-real, style of illustrations, combined with the fanciful story, remind me of Bill Thomson books: Chalk, Fossil, and The Typewriter. Be sure to read the final page, where we see the boy on the beach in shock as he catches a pitcher of lemonade that falls from the sky. The boy and girls have inherited each others' items that defied gravity. Once readers understand the switch that occurs, they need to go back to other images in the story and they will see hints they might have missed during the first reading.
The story itself is not going to replace any classroom lessons about gravity, but the book would make a fun introduction or accompaniment to such a unit. There is additional information about gravity in the back of the book, as well as a bibliography.
July 1, 2014
In his latest book, Chin examines the theory of gravity and how it works on our planet and in the universe. As with his previous books about redwoods and coral reefs, Chin takes a complicated subject and reduces it neatly to a child-appropriate level. He also adds a touch of magic and whimsy. The book begins with the book falling out of the sky and right in front of a boy on a beach, playing with his toy astronaut and rocket. Then gravity goes away and his toys, bucket, shovel and banana head out into space. From there, the effect of gravity on the earth is explained and eventually gravity returns and the objects fall back to earth. But not exactly where you’d expect them to.
Told in very brief sentences, the book will work for even the youngest scientifically-inclined children to enjoy. More information on gravity in a wordier format is provided at the end of the book. Chin keeps the body of the book light-hearted and still scientific even as toys float right past the reader in the vastness of space.
As with any book by Chin, his art is exceptional. He manages on a still page to capture the effect of items floating in space, weightless and free from gravitational pull. He also succeeds in conveying clearly when gravity is turned off and when it is returned, something not easily done in illustrations. The beauty of what he captures is magnificent. He shows the sun from space, the earth, and it is all vast and lovely.
Another winner of a title from Chin, get this into the hands of little ones who dream of science and space. This is a very readable science book that would make a great addition for sharing aloud in a story time or unit. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Told in very brief sentences, the book will work for even the youngest scientifically-inclined children to enjoy. More information on gravity in a wordier format is provided at the end of the book. Chin keeps the body of the book light-hearted and still scientific even as toys float right past the reader in the vastness of space.
As with any book by Chin, his art is exceptional. He manages on a still page to capture the effect of items floating in space, weightless and free from gravitational pull. He also succeeds in conveying clearly when gravity is turned off and when it is returned, something not easily done in illustrations. The beauty of what he captures is magnificent. He shows the sun from space, the earth, and it is all vast and lovely.
Another winner of a title from Chin, get this into the hands of little ones who dream of science and space. This is a very readable science book that would make a great addition for sharing aloud in a story time or unit. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
September 18, 2014
The book Gravity is a book about what gravity is and what it does. It's very informational and could be used in the class room to go along with a lesson about gravity. The book teaches that everything has gravity or else everything would float away. The book also teaches that if there wasn't gravity the moon would float away from the Earth, and the Earth would drift away from the Sun. At the end of the book it has a more about gravity page and has different informational facts about gravity. The book has exceptional pictures to go along with the words. These are some of the best illustrations I've seen in a children's picture book. The illustrations make the words come alive. It demonstrates things floating away and depicts it very well. The words float away are spread out between two pages and it drags the readers attention across the whole page. The colors of the objects on the page are very vivid against the dark backgrounds of space which really makes the color and objects on the page pop! The illustrations of the planet Earth and the Sun look as if they're an actual picture taken. In the book the sun looks like it is actually burning and it's not just a drawing of a large yellow blob. This is a great non-fiction book for the classroom because it has some great information about what gravity is. Children will not only learn about gravity through the words but the pictures will help them more closely grasp the concept of what gravity is and that it really helps keep everything in place.
June 5, 2019
Bad, misleading science. I felt Chin got across the concept that gravity is a critical force in our Universe and responsible for our stable orbit. But even the visuals he provides to illustrate that - swinging a ball on a string - did not have explanatory power. What does it mean to say the string is similar to gravity? How does that help a child understand why it is similar or how it is similar. It is similar in that it produces a similar visual, but fundamentally it is NOT at ALL alike. He never mentioned momentum! We orbit the sun because of a combination of momentum and gravity. (At least that is what I remember.) I did not like his repetition that various objects ‘have’ gravity and some have a lot of gravity. That is a terrible misconception to sow. What objects have is mass. Gravity is not a thing that can be had, it is a force that acts on objects. Nothing has ‘more’ gravity than something else. I also felt Chin reinforced the confusion between weight and gravity. Weight doesn’t give objects gravity -Weight is entirely dependent on gravity and the RESULT of gravity. My memory of Earth Science is that my teacher spent a lot of time drilling into us the difference between mass and weight. This book confuses the two. I would love a scientists’ perspective, but I think this book sows misconceptions.
January 6, 2019
Argh. I can interpret most of what is said in here in a way such that it's true, but I don't think it would be understood that way by most kids. It's especially frustrating because overall, the back matter is much, much better in terms of correctness.
As usual, I like the self-referential bits of the illustrations.
Issues I had:
*In the illustrations, when everything is floating away from Earth, this doesn't include the atmosphere.
*The main text only says that the more massive thing pulls on the smaller thing, but it's mutual.
*"Massive" things having "more gravity" is more or less correct in the sense of objects with more mass having stronger gravitational fields. But "massive" is contrasted with "smaller," and so we're basically ignoring density in favor of size here. And "more gravity" is just a weird phrase, imo.
The last two things are corrected/clarified in the back matter.
The back matter does say in the section about mass that the force between the Sun and the Earth is stronger than between the Moon and the Earth. The next section is then about distance. To really make a claim about Sun/Earth vs Moon/Earth, you have to factor in both mass and distance differences...
As usual, I like the self-referential bits of the illustrations.
Issues I had:
*In the illustrations, when everything is floating away from Earth, this doesn't include the atmosphere.
*The main text only says that the more massive thing pulls on the smaller thing, but it's mutual.
*"Massive" things having "more gravity" is more or less correct in the sense of objects with more mass having stronger gravitational fields. But "massive" is contrasted with "smaller," and so we're basically ignoring density in favor of size here. And "more gravity" is just a weird phrase, imo.
The last two things are corrected/clarified in the back matter.
The back matter does say in the section about mass that the force between the Sun and the Earth is stronger than between the Moon and the Earth. The next section is then about distance. To really make a claim about Sun/Earth vs Moon/Earth, you have to factor in both mass and distance differences...
December 1, 2016
1) Book summary, in your own words (3 pts)
-This book does a great job of breaking down the concept of gravity to a level that young readers can understand. The students can learn all about gravity and how it works, what life would be like without it, etc. The illustrations are beautiful and enhance the story.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
-2nd grade.
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
-Science
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
-Students who love science or space
5) Small group use (literaturecircles) (1 pt)
-Students can read the book and discuss two things they did not know before.
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
-I would carpet read the book and have students draw two pictures: what life looks like with gravity, and what life looks like without it.
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
-Coral Reefs by Jason Chin
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
-Audiobook available
-This book does a great job of breaking down the concept of gravity to a level that young readers can understand. The students can learn all about gravity and how it works, what life would be like without it, etc. The illustrations are beautiful and enhance the story.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
-2nd grade.
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
-Science
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
-Students who love science or space
5) Small group use (literaturecircles) (1 pt)
-Students can read the book and discuss two things they did not know before.
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
-I would carpet read the book and have students draw two pictures: what life looks like with gravity, and what life looks like without it.
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
-Coral Reefs by Jason Chin
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
-Audiobook available
June 12, 2015
I love the fact that this nonfiction book is perfect for my youngest readers! The stunning pictures will be great catalysts of conversation about Gravity. The text is shirt and simple which makes it very friendly for our beginning readers. I especially like the pages hat contain further information.
May 13, 2014
What a visually stunning book! I had to go back again to make sure I didn't miss anything. Simple text, yet does not sacrifice good scientific writing and use of vocabulary. I saw someone mention this as a possible Geisel nominee and I would agree.
April 19, 2016
Clever use of typography, composition, and art to subliminally reinforce the factual text. Nonfiction elements layered in with a natural lyrical style. Fun subtext in the illustrations. Print reviews cannot adequately explain the very visual reading experience. Must-read for kids.
December 25, 2014
Chin does it again, gravity is explained for young children. Beautiful illustrations.
December 30, 2014
Many people are enamored by this picturebook. Some lovely spreads but I didn't find anything terribly new or captivating.
May 31, 2015
Great book to learn about gravity. The kids could read the book and then at the end I read the facts page to them. Great pictures.
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