Meet Einstein

PreS-Gr 1—Though the man died in 1955, children are invited to "Meet Albert Einstein. He is a scientist." In this slight book, readers are informed of various topics that scientists study: the body, plants, animals, the Earth and sky. They're told that "Scientists make lots of discoveries" and are given a simplified explanation of two areas of science that interested Einstein: gravity and light. That gravity is the reason everything falls down and not up is explained in a somewhat confusing manner: "Gravity keeps the Earth near the Sun, so that the Sun can come up every morning...and go down every night," making it sound as though gravity is instrumental in making it set (or fall) because everything that goes up must come down. Since readers are told that gravity makes things fall, how are they to comprehend that "it also keeps the moon up in the sky at night"? Charming, colorful illustrations add appeal but are not enough to save the text. More perplexing than instructive, this book has little to inform or inspire future scientists.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI