Light Waves

by David A Adler (Author) Anna Raff (Illustrator)

Light Waves
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
The acclaimed team behind "Things That Float and Things That Don't" explains the basics of the electromagnetic spectrum, photon particles, light scattering, reflection and refraction, and solar energy. Hands-on activities demonstrate how light travels and how kids can bend light themselves. Full color.
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The science of light: what it is, how it behaves, and how it colors, energizes, and illuminates our world.

Adler uses small steps to move readers from understanding that light is energy that can be transferred from the sun to plants and animals and to humans to the concept of light as streams of photons that travel in waves that can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed. Demonstrations with common household items show children some properties of light: It travels in straight lines and can be bent or blocked. Adler ends with a discussion of color that will be accessible to children, Raff’s illustrations showing a prism breaking light into a rainbow and then the various colors as undulating lines of different wavelengths. Two further spreads describe infrared and ultraviolet light and how the reflection of light waves gives color to objects. The digital artwork is cartoony and features a pale-skinned adult farmer with curly brown hair, a child with similar features and skin tone, and a brown cow (originally brought into the tale as part of the energy chain—cow to hot dog to energy for humans—and later dressed as a stereotypical nerdy scientist: glasses, green lab coat with pens in breast pocket, red bow tie). Italicized words are defined within the text and in a closing glossary.

A good beginning look at light and all the ways it’s important to life on Earth. (Informational picture book. 6-10)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--This book introduces readers to the concept of light waves. Two young children and an anthropomorphic cow take readers on a tour of light energy in its various forms. Readers learn about translucency, transparency, reflection, refraction, different kinds of rays (gamma, x-rays, UV light, radio waves), and more. A handful of simple hands-on experiments are also included, allowing students to learn more about how light travels and how it can be bent using common household materials. The explanations, while simple and concise, are conveyed at a brisk pace--and the book ends rather abruptly. The appealing illustrations nicely complement the concepts conveyed in the text. For example, seven colored waves with different crests and valleys emerge from a prism and reflect from a white piece of paper to portray how colors are observed. The book concludes with an index and glossary, but lacks any listing of additional resources. VERDICT A worthwhile resource for large STEM collections looking to introduce young learners to the basic concepts of light waves.--Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
David A Adler
David A. Adler is the author of many popular books for children, including biographies, math books, and Judaica. His strong interest in history and biography led to his bestselling Picture Book Biography series. He lives in New York State with his wife and family.

Jeff Fisher (1955 - 2014) was a professional illustrator who made his picture book debut with A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart. He lived with his family in New York.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780823436828
Lexile Measure
570
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication date
July 20, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Experiments & Projects
JNF051140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Physics
Library of Congress categories
Color
Light

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