Science Takes a Trip

by Maria Rentetzi, Pieter De Decker (Illustrator)

Overview

"An enthralling historical account.” – Kirkus Reviews

Journey into history with science and adventure! Step back to the 1950s, where world-changing innovations and the pursuit of peace take center stage. Learn how the United States once donated two blue laboratory buses to carry nuclear science across the globe with the goal of bringing hope and progress to the world after the devastation of World War II. Despite many difficulties, a team of dedicated scientists used these labs to help shape history, bridging gaps between nations in the hope of building a brighter future.

Based on historical and scientific facts, it was written by Maria Rentetzi, professor in science, technology and gender studies at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany.

A beautifully illustrated, informative book about a little-known piece of history: two mobile laboratories that brought together scientists from around the world in the aftermath of World War II. For curious readers ages 9 years and up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798890632456
Publisher:	Clavis
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.84(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	9 - 11 Years

About the Author

Maria Rentetzi is an experienced academic author, but “Science Takes a Trip” is her first book for children. With a background in physics and science history, she’s currently a professor and chair of Science, Technology and Gender Studies at the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in Germany. She’s very passionate about picture books and wants to make her academic stories about nuclear science and technology accessible for children.

Pieter De Decker is a versatile illustrator, designer, and artist based in Belgium. His work spans a broad range of projects, including illustrations, public art integrations, light installations, and theater projects for children. His illustrations exude a vibrant depth, inviting viewers to continually discover new details. Pieter creates atmospheres that inspire and captivate audiences of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

Rentetzi tells a lesser-known but inspiring story of science and politics. In 1958, the U.S. donated two mobile labs to the International Atomic Energy Agency to demonstrate how, in the wake of World War II, nuclear power could be used for good. The vehicles visited four continents, providing global scope to the project. From the book’s first spread, which refers to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and includes an image of a mushroom cloud), Rentetzi’s clear, concise text, translated from Dutch, explains the hope that the labs would allow scientists to make advances in agriculture, medicine, and industry. Scientists “with or without lab coats, with or without shoes” attended training sessions and applied what they’d learned to local challenges. De Decker’s precise, powerful line-and-color artwork—a mix of vignettes and full-page spreads, some recalling classic Northern European art—depicts people, landscapes, monuments, transport vehicles, local animals, and the inside of a science lab in the late 1950s. Details from the text are artistically integrated, like a world map and the painted flags that record the countries the mobile labs visited. While the tone is overall positive, Rentetzi acknowledges the complex political undercurrents of the project, noting that the U.S. government sought to make scientists around the world dependent on American technology, thus giving the U.S. an edge over the Soviet Union. An enthralling historical account. (Informational picture book. 7-10)” – Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher