Every Day, Chemistry

by Julia Sooy, Bonnie Pang (Illustrator)

Overview

A mother and daughter go about their day as chemical reactions in their everyday lives occur around them in Everyday Chemistry, a nonfiction picture book by writer Julia Sooy and illustrator Bonnie Pang.

Science is all around us in our daily lives. Specifically, chemistry! When your bread toasts, when your shampoo foams, when the playground slide rusts—those are all chemical reactions. In this book, a mother and daughter expereince all these things and more as they go about their day, from when they wake up, to when they go to bed.

This story is a great way to introduce young readers into the world of science!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250768698
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	06/29/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,061,633
Product dimensions:	10.24(w) x 10.45(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD770L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Julia Sooy is the author of Our World Is Relative, illustrated by Molly Walsh. She enjoys all kinds of chemical reactions— especially those that happen in the kitchen. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, she now lives and works in New York City.

Bonnie Pang is an illustrator and comic artist from Hong Kong. She studied geography at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, then illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. She illustrates mostly children’s books, and creates the web comics Roar Street Journal and IT Guy & Art Girl. When she’s not drawing, Bonnie loves cooking, baking, and taking walks in nature.

Editorial Reviews

04/26/2021

Chemistry isn’t something that requires test tubes and goggles, as a parent and child discover in these pages—instead, “science is all around us.” Sooy’s (Our World Is Relative) setup explanation may confuse young readers and even some adults (“Substances become something new—not just by cutting or freezing or physical change, but by changing what they are, their chemical composition”), but easy-to-grasp examples soon take over as the white-skinned family moves through their day. Every- thing they encounter involves chemistry: the breakfast toast, the rust on a slide, the brown coloration on an apple, the shampoo that “foams, lifting away sweat and dirt,” the pizza dough rising, even breathing itself. Pang (MVP: Most Valuable Puppy) keeps the bright-eyed, engaged protagonists and their actions front and center, in cheery color and clean digital lines that have the cozy familiarity of TV animation. The slight story doesn’t offer specifics about how the listed reactions take place, but back matter offers some help, in the form of questions “to help determine if a chemical reaction has occurred” and a real-life example of chemical and physical change: bread baking. Ages 4–8. (June)■

Publishers Weekly

★ 06/25/2021

PreS-Gr 3—Sooy's picture book follows a pale-skinned mother and daughter through a seemingly typical day brimming with chemistry simmering beneath the surface. Breakfast pops from an almost magical toaster where asterisks, lightning bolts, and sparkles swirl around, signaling to readers that scientific reactions are occurring inside. Next, the two drive to a park where plants grow, a diverse cast of characters run, rapidly respirating, while others calmly cloud-watch or beat the heat in the shade. The daughter glides down a rusty slide and stomachs digest picnic lunches. Back at home, bath time is a soapy chemical reaction washing away grimy particles. Eagerly, the daughter observes dough rising and baking in the oven, yielding a delicious pizza dinner. Snuggled beneath the covers, a flashlight illuminates the pages of a bedtime story. Even the sharing of love as the mother kisses her daughter goodnight: it's all everyday chemistry. Pang's vibrantly colored, digital artwork emanates a warm energy. The formula for Sooy's story is light on factual information, leaning into the naturalistic treatment of what's happening and why. Back matter provides supplemental information on chemical reactions for those wanting to explore further. VERDICT A recommended catalyst to spark young readers' interest in chemistry.—Emily Brush, Novi P.L., MI

School Library Journal