Rating: 5 stars
Headline: Bricks and Experiments – a book that is both fun and educational. What’s not to like?
Review:
Bricks and Experiments by Lindsay Whitman Drewes combines two things guaranteed to get any child excited: toy construction bricks and all things gooey, slimy and fizzy. Contained in this colourful book are ten different science experiments to get children engaging with simple chemical and physical reactions, from “the floor is lava” to “sailboat races”. For each experiment, Whitman Drewes, a former middle school science teacher, provides a detailed description of the challenge, recipes for the experiment and then a full explanation of the science underpinning it. Accompanying each challenge are a array of beautifully shot photos, which add to the fun and energy of content.
The end of the book is filled with brick challenge cards of varying levels of difficultly (e.g. “build a house” and “make a marble maze”), alongside space for scientific notes and the chance for smaller hands to create stud art (with visual examples provided for guidance).
It is hard to not enjoy this book, it sets out to achieve and more. And while the Danish brand (the one beginning with L) is not mentioned explicitly in this fun picture guide, it is clear from the title and cover art that ownership of a set of yellow plastic people and multicoloured bricks is essential to engage with the experiments. Equally, the involvement of a responsible adult is also an important feature, as close to all the experiments require the use of chemicals which could be damaging to smaller hands if not used in the appropriate way.
At a push it could be argued that the demographic age range is too broad for marketing this book (it is currently targeted as suitable for ages 4-18 on a popular online marketplace), but hopefully this is something easily rectifiable and an aspect Whitman Drewes will address when she starts marketing this book.
Bricks and Experiments is a great book, one which is both fun and educational. What’s not to like?
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Bricks and Experiments” by Lindsay Whitman Drewes
Purchase Link: “Bricks and Experiments” by Lindsay Whitman Drewes (Amazon)
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