Review by Booklist Review
Light is everywhere, surrounding us, influencing the patterns of our lives, defining what we can and cannot see. But what is light, exactly? And how does it actually work? This oversize picture book explains the basic properties of light (incandescence, radiation, wavelengths, refraction, the color spectrum, iridescence, etc.) in precise, straightforward language accompanied by crisp, meticulously rendered full-color photographs. Most science books offer illustrations, but few manage to consistently feature such precision when capturing the exact moment when energy becomes light, or employ such eloquence in explaining concepts through select, well-chosen words and pictures. Beginning with simple examples of light, such as a wooden match or a candle, the text then employs two-page spreads to address increasingly sophisticated phenomena, eventually getting to atmospheric light, nuclear fusion, and the earth's ultimate source of light the sun. There are no source notes or bibliography, but concluding back matter offers additional information about both content and the processes used in creating the images. Wick is well known as the illustrator of the I Spy and the Can You See What I See? series, and this current offering is a worthy companion to his award-winning A Drop of Water (1997). Public and elementary- and middle-school libraries should include both of these titles as cornerstone components of STEM collections.--Kathleen McBroom Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-7-Large eye-catching photos are the star of the show in this exploration of light. In addition to examining basic topics such as light waves, the sun, color spectrum, reflection, and refraction, Wick also tackles iridescence, pigments, and other concepts not often covered in introductory books for children. Photos illustrate how lenses work in a camera, telescope, and magnifying glass, and show a prism refracting light or close-up views of iridescent insects and feathers. Much of the text serves as expanded captions for the photos. Some smaller images are harder to see, such as the tiny beam of light split into colors after passing through a water-filled box. The text refers to the processes and experiments behind the photos, and Wick provides more extensive instructions and explanations in two pages following the main text. Although upper elementary students may be able to do some activities with adult help or supervision, younger students will probably remain observers of teacher or parent demonstrations. Without a glossary, index, or list of additional sources, Wick's title may serve best as a starting point to encourage explorations using hands-on activities found elsewhere. VERDICT Libraries with strong STEM collections should consider Wick's visual introduction to an intriguing subject.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Wick explores the concepts of light and color in a sophisticated yet comprehensible format. As in his masterful A Drop of Water (rev. 3/97; winner of the 1997 Boston GlobeHorn Book Award for Nonfiction), the gorgeous images of phenomena, in carefully staged everyday contexts, amaze us even as they prompt reflections on the underlying science. Rays of light beam across the pages, clearly bending as they travel through a lens, or fanning out in all the visible colors when split apart by a prism. At other times, the photographs are of objects that display color, such as pigments, soap bubbles, and insects, or of the objects, such as telescopes, that allow us to see far-away light. These images illustrate concepts that span degrees of difficulty, from the easy-to-observe refraction, dispersion, and iridescence to the more difficult concepts of color, light waves, and atomic spectra. Light is harder to describe than matter (i.e., water), and at times the ideas get abstract (there are no diagrams or sketches of the atomic-level interactions that produce light and color) or involve terminology that may be complicated for younger readers. But even if the explanations are challenging, the interplay between them and the images encourages readers to wonder and learn. Appended with a double-page spread of back matter that provides further information about the concepts covered in the book. danielle j. ford March/April 2019 p 105(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An exploration of the workings and gifts of light.Matter can be solid, liquid, or gasbut what about light? "What is it made of? How does it fit alongside everything else in the world?" Light is energy, and Wick's photographshuge, glossy, and crystal clearglow with it. On the first spread, a shaft of light, a beaker of water, and some rocks appear almost mystical. Next, a close-up of a candle with its wick aflame is downright hypnotic; across from it, a sequence of small photos show a match striking a rock and flaring up. Later, another progression shows three incandescent sourcescandle, bulb, suneach in turn lighting a teacup-saucer-spoon arrangement that never varies in placement, effectively demonstrating how lighting alters color. The text examines incandescence, iridescence, refraction, the relationship between light waves and colors, pigments, magnification, heat, fire, and the sunalways clearly and in concert with spellbinding photographs. The radiant illustrations show color spectrums, light shining through and across various objects, almost-magic tricks of light, and demonstrations of light waves that use water as a visible symbol. Scrupulously, Wick acknowledges that photographs in books "cannot fully capture the purity and intensity of color that's observed directly by the human eye"but these will enrapture even readers too young to fully comprehend the science. A meticulous, adult-directed author's note elaborating on the principles covered will help caregivers answer curious children's further questions.A love story to light and color, both educational and visually stunning. (Informational picture book. 6-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
