Cute squirrels that explain simple machines and their uses.

First sentence: Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple bounced off his head.

Premise/plot: Newton, a squirrel, becomes fascinated with how the world works [aka science] after an apple falls on his head. Curie, his sister, is perhaps less fascinated but she is super playful. [She likes the end results.] These two squirrels observe the humans, in particular he observes the nearby SCHOOL (and playground). He takes advantage of proximity and learns (not without some failures). This one focuses on simple machines.

My thoughts: I was looking for an "N" title for my Alphabet Soup Challenge. This science-themed picture book stars two adorable squirrels. It definitely packs a few science lessons into the main story narrative. There's even a glossary at the back of the book. It was cute to see science-in-action since it was squirrel-sized science. (Newton figures out how to make a squirrel-sized seesaw and a squirrel-sized swing.) ( )

A simple machine is a device containing few or no moving parts that makes work easy. A lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle are classic examples. These mechanical devices use changes in direction or magnitudes of force to do perform a task.

Read the recently published picture book, then learn more at the website:

NEWTON AND CURIE: THE SCIENCE SQUIRRELS by Daniel Kirk features two STEAM loving squirrels who use their knowledge of simple machines to solve real-world problems.

GENERATION GENIUS is a K-8 teaching resource that pairs educational videos with science standards aligned lessons and activities. For instance, their Simple Machines video is accompanied by discussion questions, vocabulary, reading material, activities, lesson plan, teacher guide, and assessment. Limited access is available without a subscription.

To visit Generation Genius, go to https://bit.ly/35iSVUj.

ARC courtesy of Abrams. ( )