Spark, Shine, Glow!: What a Light Show

by Lola M Schaefer (Author) James Yang (Illustrator)

Spark, Shine, Glow!: What a Light Show
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

What is light, and how does it shape our world? Acclaimed author Lola M. Schaefer and award-winning artist James Yang illuminate the essential concept of light in this playful and informative picture book. An educational and inventive picture book for readers of David Macaulay and Jason Chin, and anyone curious about how light impacts our world.

Light is everywhere: from the shining sun to a bright light bulb to a glowing firefly. Light from a flashlight helps you see in the dark, and light from the sun makes plants grow. And did you know that light makes X-rays possible, and also keeps cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes moving safely? It even allows us to see deep into space! Where would we be without light?

From acclaimed author Lola M. Schaefer and award-winning illustrator James Yang, Spark, Shine, Glow! features a fact-filled, lively text full of rhythm and repetition, as well as engaging and informative illustrations illuminating key STEM concepts. A companion to their Lift, Mix, Fling!: Machines Can Do Anything, Spark, Shine, Glow! is for curious children, young scientists, classrooms, and family story-times.

Includes a glossary. 

Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

Challenging but illuminating.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--Rhyming text and colorful illustrations explore different types of light as well as its various scientific properties. Familiar light sources--sun, flashlights, fireworks--are paired with more unusual ones, such as bioluminescent sea creatures and the aurora borealis, to demonstrate the range found in the world. "Light is energy," an organizing principle of the book, is supported by examples, with varying degrees of success. Topics like natural versus artificial light are simply explained, while passages such as "Prisms and raindrops/ both refract light/ which helps form rainbows--/ an optical delight!" is a lot for children to unpack. The book's greatest strengths are in the questions it will prompt. Three girls and three boys of varying ethnicities (and one blue-green bear) form the cast of characters. Pair with Lights Day and Night by Susan Hughes for a more in-depth investigation. Includes a glossary of terms and author's note. VERDICT The attempt to put complex topics into simple text sometimes results in confusing organization and stilted rhymes, while charming illustrations greatly enhance the appeal for children.--Sue Morgan

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780062457110
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
May 23, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF013000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Concepts | General
JNF050000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | School & Education
JNF051120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | How Things Work/Are Made
JNF051090 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Electricity & Electronics
Library of Congress categories
Light

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