19 December 2011–How Do We Stay On Earth?

image courtesy Capstone Press

Written by: Amy S. Hansen; Illustrated by: Korey Scott ISBN: 978-1-4296-7174-3 (Paperback binding) Capstone Press, August 2011 $5.95 Ages: 5 - 8

Summary Kids have always been fascinated by the way the world works, but explaining such concepts as gravity can be difficult to explain without bogging little ones down in lots of jargon. In the new First Graphics series, Gravity and other heavy concepts are discussed in easily digestible chunks that younger readers can easily understand. In How Do We Stay on Earth? kids are introduced to gravity, what it is, how it affects us and how we can experience the effects of gravity here on Earth. In addition to teaching kids about basic science theory, it also introduces emergent readers to graphic literacy. Like other Stone Arch/Capstone Press books, it includes a glossary of terms specific to each book, along with internet links tailored for kids to find out more information. Analysis While older audiences may find themselves bored very quickly with the subject matter, my test subjects (Mark, 6 and Patrick, 3) were absolutely enthralled with the book. While not strangers to the comic format, they didn’t have much prior experience with it. The layout of the book helped them to understand the concepts the book discussed, and positioned them to ask the right questions at the right time. Final Thoughts Capstone’s First Graphics series, while currently small, has a huge potential to really aid in teaching introductory concepts about complex scientific phenomena. The artwork is clean, colorful and engaging, while the writing fully engages its target audience and never talks down to them. While most parents will give this a pass, this series is definitely one that teachers should look into.