Ruth Spiro is the author of the How to Explain Science to a Grown-Up series, the Made by Maxine series, and the best-selling Baby Loves Science series, which has been praised by NPR, Today, Popular Science, the Los Angeles Times, and more. Ruth speaks regularly at STEM and early-childhood conferences across the country.
After a brief explanation of the holiday of Hanukkah, simple text
explains that torque makes the dreidel spin and that the spinning
dreidel has angular momentum. "That means it spins and spins
instead of falling over. The spinning dreidel hits tiny molecules
in the air. That creates friction. The point of the dreidel rubs
against the table. That creates friction, too. Friction slows the
dreidel down. As the dreidel spins slower, it loses angular
momentum. Gravity makes it tilt and wobble. Gravity pulls the
dreidel down. Clunk!" The book continues with the rules of the game
and other ways that families celebrate the holiday, ending with:
"Not all Baby's friends celebrate Hanukkah. . . but they can spin
the dreidel. Baby loves Hanukkah!" Adorable, vibrant cartoon
illustrations feature round-faced and wide-eyed toddlers with
various skin and hair colors though "Baby" is white and sports a
blue kippah. Green energy, coding, quantum physics, and
thermodynamics are just some of the topics addressed in this cute,
accessible "Baby Loves Science" board book series that will also
include Baby Loves Electrical Engineering on Christmas! and Baby
Loves Photosynthesis on St. Patrick's Day!. Here's hoping that more
Jewish holidays will be added in the future!
—AJL News & Reviews
These bright, vividly illustrated board books use Christmas and
Hanukkah to explain scientific concepts. In Baby Loves Electrical
Engineering on Christmas, a baby explores the world of twinkling
lights around her, starting with the Christmas tree. “What makes
the lights blink and twinkle? Electricity!” The story then launches
into an appropriately simplified explanation of atoms, electrons,
circuits, and electrical energy. In Baby Loves Angular Momentum on
Hanukkah, the spinning dreidel is used as an example of torque and
angular momentum. A basic description of how the game is played as
well as why Hanukkah is celebrated blends nicely with the
scientific topics. These high concept board books offer a unique
angle on the traditional Christmas/Hanukkah book, with succinct
explanations of the holidays and the scientific concepts they
highlight. Chan’s rich colors and happy faces offer the warm
familiarity of family holidays as well as simple visual
representations of the themes. VERDICT Recommended in library
collections where board books are popular and where holiday books
are in demand.
—School Library Journal
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