An Elementary Introduction to Science
By Mariela Kleiner, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Publisher: Meet Books, LLC (28 pages)
Last night the children and I snuggled on the couch and read Meet Einstein. The book couldn’t have come at a perfect time. Over Winter Break, The Divine Miss M worked on her Science Project. She elected to do; “Which Laundry Detergent Cleans the Best,” and we are just now to the conclusion.
Science is a favorite subject here. My kiddos are question-askers, and, as their mom, I try to be the answer provider. I especially love being creative and helping them see or experience the answer through a project. I believe this builds logic and gives exploration an exciting opportunity.
Meet Einstein, written by Mariela Kleiner and Illustrated by Viviana Garofoli, is a simple introduction to science. Geared for preschoolers, it takes the subject of science and explains it from a very layman’s perspective, making it the perfect resource for anyone wanting to learn about science.
My Li’l Man was impressed to learn, “Gravity is the reason things fall to the ground.” He had never thought of this, and it opened a new world for him. My children got up from the couch and jumped–just to make sure they came back down.
The Divine Miss M, is my creative child, was mesmerized by the illustrations. They are cartoon-like with children that look like her friends and her. Einstein is adorable. The colors are delicate and seem to come to life on the page.
The book has only one or two sentences per page, making it easy to get through, and it is not cumbersome with too detailed information. It was memorable and spoke truly on a child’s level of curiosity.
My husband and I really like the parent’s guide at the back of the book. It answered some of the questions my kiddos asked like, “Who is Einstein?” (Britannica.com) There was some conversation onSciencee before bed and while my children don’t grasp E=MC2, this book started a new cycle of curiosity.
The Divine Miss M really likes the pictures in the front and back of the book to discover and learn about the equipment scientists use. Things like: “Goggles: protect my eyes” or “Balance: so I can test if one thing is heavier than another.” Some of the tools she was delighted to know she has used, “Rock Pick: to break apart big rocks and make little rocks,” “Net: essential for catching butterflies,” “Rain Boots: keep my feet clean, so I don’t bring mud in the house + they’re stylish.”
I love the simplicity of this book and the conversations and curiosity it has generated in my children. It is a book that, when they awoke, they went to and continued to inquire.
The one thing each of my children wished was in the book was a simple science experiment. Something that provoked the quiet curiosity to erupt. Then again, perhaps it was enough to end the book with “…and someday you will be a scientist too.”
Meet Einstein will be available in bookstores nationwide on March 1, 2011.
It’s currently available through Amazon.
Mariela Kleiner was inspired to write this book when her daughter Hailey chose a grown-up book for her bedtime story, which happened to be Einstein’s book, “Relativity.” Hailey was a persistent two-year-old, so Mariela improvised the tale of Albert Einstein so that her daughter could understand it. Starting with “Meet Albert Einstein. He is a scientist,” the story for this book was born. This is Mariela’s first children’s book publication. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and two children.
Viviana Garofoli was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she currently lives with her husband and two daughters, April and Emma. After pursuing a successful career in fine arts, Viviana changed her focus to illustrating children’s books. Over the past 15 years, Viviana has illustrated over 20 children’s books and has created illustrations for various publications and textbooks in Argentina and Puerto Rico.