Emma, over at Primary Teacher Bookshelf has dived into Billy Dunne’s debut picture book, Why? A Sciencey, Rhymey Guide to Rainbows. Illustrated by Rhys Jefferys.
Dad is quite confident in explaining how a rainbow is made to his curious daughter, but when she keeps repeating ‘why?’ his explanation spirals deep into sciencey lingo that has his brow sweating!
A daddy and daughter duo delve into the science behind how Rainbows are made in this delightful book of discovery.
Every parent, carer and grandparent can identify with the relentless deluge of Why? questions they are required to field on an often minute by minute basis – if my children are anything to go by, one Why? usually follows on from another! This book portrays a little girl doing just that – she’s going to keep on going until she’s satisfied with the explanation her dear old dad has given.
Children are naturally curious. They don’t care if the reason behind an everyday occurrence is complex and difficult to explain – they want to know Why? and they want to know NOW!
Why? A Sciencey, Rhymey Guide to Rainbows explains the science of how a rainbow is made through a fun, rhyming story.
Dad is quite confident in explaining to his curious daughter how a rainbow is made. But when she keeps repeating Why? his explanation spirals so deeply into science it has his brow sweating!
How far will he have to go until he satisfies her curiosity?
The illustrations are bold and colourful, presented on a consistent white background throughout. This entertaining explanation text is both enjoyable and educational.
Children love learning and using new, ambitious vocabulary and this book successfully introduces key scientific words like atom, wavelength, refraction in flowing rhyming verse.
What better way to introduce the laws of physics to children than through bright, attractive illustrations. The secret to making learning stick is making it memorable. I love that the final page depicts an apple falling from the tree – an image I’m sure we’ve all conjured up in our minds when trying to retrieve facts about the laws of gravity. Daughter is pointing and dad is sweating – Isaac Newton he is not! Could this be a little hint that there is going to be another book? I can just see it now:
Why? A Sciencey, Rhymey Guide to Gravity.
Why? Could become a super-sciencey series and further everyday scientific phenomena that children encounter in their daily life could be explored in this playful way, such as ice, static or magnets. Equally, I’m sure teachers would appreciate Sciencey, Rhymey Guides to accompany other key areas of study in the Science National Curriculum, such as the Circulatory System or how Sound travels. I would love to read about more daddy and daughter (or mummy and son) scientific discoveries.
Even though it can be extremely exasperating, Why? is a question we should always encourage, in order to foster lively, enquiring minds.