Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small

Spectacular Science

by Jess Wade, Melissa Castrillón (Illustrator)

The cutting-edge world of nanoscience leaps to life on boldly patterned pages in this STEM-ready gem.

An acclaimed physicist and debut picture-book author introduces readers to the tiny building blocks that make up the world around us. Elegant, friendly text and stylish illustrations explain atoms, the elements, and other essential science concepts and reveal how very (very) small materials are manipulated to create self-washing windows; stronger, lighter airplanes; and other wonders of nanotechnology. Further explanation in the back matter gives more detail about various scientists’ roles and the tools they use. Splashed with bright primary colors, this tribute to the tiny will inspire curious minds of every stripe.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, Stem, Middle Grade, Physics

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2021

About the author

Dr. Jess Wade is an award-winning physicist, activist, and science-communicator. Nano is her first book for children. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS Quite well-written for the target audience. It is engaging and informative, provides complex scientific information in an age-appropriate but not at all patronizing fashion, and is quite readable. The illustrations are beautiful and do an amazing job at helping convey the information in way that is at once scientifically accurate and also quite artistic. My only complaint is there is no Bibliography -- the author herself is an award-winning physicist, so I think that lends a lot of credibility to the material but I still like to see non-fiction picture books show a list of sources or suggestion for further reading or something further for children to explore further.

[Marko Kivimäe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sirvisin-lugesin vahelduseks pisidele mõeldud teadusraamatut. Füüsik Jess Wade kirjutas teksti, kunstnik Melissa Castrillón joonistas pildid. Tulemuseks on mõnus raamat, mis lapsele kätte anda, et saaks nanomaailma sukelduda. Juttu on väikestest osakestest, millest meid ümbritsev maailm koosneb, mida palja silmaga ei näe aga spetsiaalse mikroskoobi all küll. Raske midagi enama üteldagi - soovitan lapsevanematel algul raamatusse vaadata ning seejärel raamat väikestesse kätesse edasi ulatada. Ma usun, et siin on rõõmu kõigile. :)

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

See on üsna nunnu lasteraamat väga ilusate piltidega, millest mõnda uurisin kohe põhjalikult - nt see, kus olid vee, õhu, meresoola, puuvilla jne molekulid. Ma enne ei teadnud, et puuvill koosneb lihtsalt hapnikust, vesinikust ja süsinikust! Oleks arvanud, et tegu on mingi keerulise orgaanilise keemiaga...

Mind jäi täiega närima küsimus, et kas siis keegi on teinud grafeenist köie ja pannud elevandi sellel kõndima. Kui on, siis ma tahan sellest loost rohkem teada. Kui ei ole, siis miks? Te ei saa lihtsalt öelda, et nii saaks teha, ja siis edasist lahtiseks jätta!

[Nicole Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was awesome!

[Heidi Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess is one of the best humans I know. I’ve met her once after fangirling from afar, and she’s wonderful. Passionate about equality, and a fantastic scientist too. I pre-ordered this book to support her, but found myself genuinely loving and enjoying it. Of course, it’s aimed at children, but I’m 29 years old and have a PhD, and I learned something from this book too. It’s written with clarity without being patronising, and it’s beautifully illustrated. Highly recommend.

[drowningmermaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun science book about intro to atoms-- a lot is about graphene and its potential uses. (Oddly, doesn't mention who invented it and how. That's kind of a cool story.)

I think there should be more kids books about the exciting new developments in science.


But when I read these, I can't help hearing the echoes of all the 50s programs about the excitement for all things atomic, and plastic, and genetically engineered. See also MST3K The Chicken of Tomorrow. Is graphene awesome only until we realize it will kill us all? We'll see.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool idea for a book. And very pretty. But really isn't deep enough. And doesn't make strong enough use of the illustrations. Readable and with a short afterword. But there could have been a lot more here, so a bit disappointing. 3.5 of 5.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. Highly recommend!

[Triinu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minu arvamuse raamatus leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations here are very nice, good color palette, nice sharp drawings without being too busy. The text is much the same. It offers a sizeable amount of information without dragging or being overly convoluted. Really good lower grade science book.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some pretty sophisticated science ideas / concepts told in an approachable and understandable way.
Great for 8 year olds and over.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an interesting book. I loved the science and how it was presented in a simplified manner, the illustrations are also exquisite in their colors.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explains what "nano" means, and gives examples of nano technology that is being developed. Fascinating information and illustrations that help make the information understandable.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world is comprised of atoms and elements, and this colorful picture illustrated with pencil and digital techniques provides an accessible introduction to the topic of nanotechnology. Yes, it was written so that even older folks can understand. The younger readers who approach this book will have no trouble with its content as they ponder common elements, including the eleven found in the human body. They'll be excited to think about all the work that went into making nanomaterials such as graphene and the practical uses for this material. Imagining sieves or strainers with holes so very, very, very small that they could trap salt and debris in seawater so that humans could drink it is almost mind-boggling, but according to the author, that's one project scientists are working on as well as other problems that just might be solved by one of the book's readers. Anyone with an inkling about what this type of nanoscience might mean for the future will be intrigued by this book and wonder what might happen next. The book might even inspire readers to choose this as a career path, something made more specific with the material on chemists, physicists and engineers, microscopes, and spectroscopy provided in the back matter. There's even a helpful index, a bit unusual for such a short book, but helpful, nevertheless.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so genuinely grateful to the author for writing this book! My toddler has been asking for - what amounts to - a book on material science for over a month, and I've been checking out book after book at the library. THIS is the book I felt must exist and is exactly what we were looking for.

This book offers the perfect introduction to material science and page by page builds up the foundations of this understanding. It welcomes the reader to think about different materials, their properties, and then explains simply why materials' properties differ. It's a great introduction to the concept of atoms, and then continues to build upon that idea.

This book is labeled for Middle Grade (and I think it'd be great for this audience too!) but it is somehow so clearly written that it is also already PERFECT for someone as young as PreK who has a lot of questions about materials! I even learned some new things too!

Edited to Add: My original review neglected the illustrator. Castrillón really did an excellent job making this book even more accessible and easy to understand. The pictures really complimented the book, making it even easier to understand and even more engaging for readers!

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the get go, I loved the bright yellow molecular end pages and the grainy feel of the paper. THis book lets you know that you might be small but just like everything else you are made up of things much smaller than you and that you are also a small part of a much larger thing such as a family, school, city, world, universe. I loved the scratchy pencil art and the beautiful hues of blue highlighted by reds, yellows and green. So detailed and pleasing to the eyes! I love all the tiny details-I could just play doll house in my head for hours in the first two page spread. This book is non-fiction at its most inviting. There is a great use of scientific vocabulary to inspire learning and research. It is written very creatively-a non-fiction book that reads like fiction-easy to follow and so much knowledge that just slides right in.This book includes the past-present-future of nanoscience and will inspire your budding scientist to dream big…er…or small as it may be!

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

An introduction to atoms, elements, and what scientists can do when they work on the atomic level and what they are thinking about doing. The back of the book includes more information on the tools a nanotechnologist uses and what kinds of backgrounds various nanotechnologists need.

This was a well done intro to atoms and elements, and then a fascinating foray into current breakthroughs in nanotechnology and what kinds of things they are exploring next. The back matter was enthralling as well. This is aimed at lower grades, but I've seen nothing on this topic for middle grades and it is written so engagingly I think curious middle graders would easily get sucked in too. As soon as you get them to the elephant on a tightrope page they'll be hooked. Fun illustrations throughout illustrate the concepts accurately and enticingly. The former science teacher and always science nerd in me loved this.

[Jacob Schmitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Jess Wade and Melissa Castrillon team up to enthrall young minds in the emerging field of nanoscience! In this science of the very small -as in atoms, a young girl takes you on the preliminary discoveries, pathos, and topics on the this frontier. This is not an account of the past, but a calling for the future generation: what will you discover with nanotechnology?

Using colored pencils, Castrillon wields only primary colors, with the addition of green, in an exotic and abstract way. The colors are used exceptionally well in differentiating concepts and balancing out the complicated concepts conveyed by Wade. The pages are dynamic, such as an elephant filling up two pages, with the following two pages showing four contrasting depictions. The text is digestible in it’s brevity and age-appropriate vocabulary. I would say this is a must buy for the STEAM section of the library!

[Tompkins County Public Library Youth Services]

Dr. Wade presents the compelling scientific information step by step in a well-organized and appealing way. Ending the book with an encouraging reminder that it might be the young readers who will discover more in nanotechnology, this book will surely sparks children’s interests in science. The beautiful illustrations provide a lively context that makes this book even more approachable to children.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an entry way for young kids to learn about nano science. While there as an index, there was no bibliography. Personally, I do not like the concept of implants in brains and other tech within the body, due to hackers. I know that sounds crazy and like a conspiracy theorists, but if it is possible in fiction THEN it COULD be possible in real life. It is just that conditions have to be met for fantasy to become reality.

[Aimi Tedresalu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Täitsa äge lasteraamat, mis selgitab esmalt materjalide üldist olemust ja teeb selgeks, mis tegelased on aatomid, molekulid ja elemendid, liikudes seejärel sujuvalt nüüdismaailma ja nanotehnoloogia saavutusteni. Oli endalgi põnev lugeda ja soovitan kindlasti sihtrühmale pihku pista, veel parem koos lugeda ja arutleda. Kes teab, ehk tekitab nii mõneski lapses huvi füüsika, keemia ja muude teaduste vastu.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The back of the book gives a good summary -- "This book introduces a cutting-edge area of STEM - better known by name of nanotechnology." Opening up with explaining matter, atoms, and elements, this book explains nanomaterials and the exciting potential they hold for the future.

Give this to any science lover.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about nanomaterials from this fascinating picture book. I would highly recommend it for all. I had never heard about graphene before. The writing and illustrations support the concepts and facts presented.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars I listened to this book and I would rather look at the book page and though the subject matter was intriguing.. I thought it was dull. It is the dread fine. I was bummed it wasn't what I thought it would be.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting picture book on atoms. The science might be too much for younger children, but my older child enjoyed learning about elements and graphene. A complex topic, but told in a simple enough way.

[Amorina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It was offered as a wonder book (where a child can push a button and have it read to them) and thank goodness, because my child has listened to this book A LOT and wants to talk to everyone about graphene.

[Kathrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Katelynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Described a concept that can be difficulty to grasp succinctly and efficiently.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explains the concept of nanoscience in ways elementary students can understand. Solid illustrations.