[.ca] What Is Science? (ISBN 0805073949)

Nonfiction Meets Poetry...Wow:
Poetry is a great way to make nonfiction more accessible and pleasurable, especially for the very young. Dotlich's WHAT IS SCIENCE? is a stellar example of nonfiction in rhyme. In a very brief text--some spreads contain as few as four words--Dotlich provides a lovely nutshell definition of science. Perfect for ~4-to-7-year-olds. For such a young audience, it would be easy for an author to simply trip through the 'ologies' to create a list of science topics--forces, animals, stars, volcanoes, plants, weather, etc. Sure, that's part of what science is about, and Dotlich has touched on a good cross-section, but she didn't stop there. She wove in the notion that science involves the study of things, and I was delighted to see that she also captured the very essence of science--the curiosity that drives it all: 'We question,/ we wonder,/ we hunt and explore/ the secrets of caves,/ the dark ocean floor.' Dotlich never talks down to her readers, which earns her big points with me. She writes in a comfortable, kid-friendly style, but doesn't shy away from including more complex words such as 'geysers' and 'glaciers'. And instead of choosing surefire, easily understood, simple generalities, she digs deeper and goes for specific details. For example, where another author may have opted to talk about the typical grouping of 'stars, planets and suns', Dotlich writes, 'The study of stars and Saturn's rings.' These kinds of choices enrich the text, adding layers and giving readers specific details about which to ask questions. WHAT IS SCIENCE? demonstrates the impeccable meter and true rhyme for which Dotlich is well-known in kids' poetry cricles. I couldn't resist reading this book out loud (and neither could my teenager(!), who spontaneously did so in the middle of the livingroom after picking it up from the coffee table). The stanzas flow effortlessly. Internal rhyme turns up as unexpected gems. A fun read. The illustrations are big and bold, in a friendly, cartoon style. As a rule, I'm not a big fan of acrylic (I prefer more subtlety), but it works beautifully in this book. We often talk about science with young children, but it's rare that such conversations include an actual definition of 'science'. Great topic, well done. --Fiona Bayrock, science author