Operation Cupcake: How Simple Machines Work

In this hilarious story about a couple of clever mice on a quest for a tasty treat, readers get a "paws-on" introduction to six simple machines. Ginger and Mac are pros at snatching up delicious tidbits and bringing them back to their cozy mousehole to eat.

Today, though, their mission is complicated. Their target is an especially aromatic vanilla cupcake with pink buttercream frosting. Only, it's (a) too big for them to carry, (b) on a high counter within leaping distance of both the resident cat and dog and (c) under a heavy glass cake dome. Luckily, these mice love nothing more than solving a challenging problem (except maybe eating buttercream frosting!). Ginger is sure they can use simple machines to get the job done. But is she right? Bambi Edlund has created a fun way to teach children about the basic concepts of mechanical physics.

Ginger and Mac's adventure story is told in panels with dialogue boxes, while the science behind how simple machines work is explained throughout the story in fully illustrated sections that never interrupt the flow of the narrative. The result is a highly entertaining book that gives readers a clear and easy-to-understand overview of the six simple machines - inclined plane, lever, pulley, wheel and axle, screw, and wedge and how they make life easier.

It's sure to inspire readers to search for examples of simple machines that exist all around them. With loads of hands-on activities that can be done at home or in the classroom, this is an excellent choice for teaching elementary physics and engineering.