Laura Gehl

November 6 – Children’s Book Week

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About the Holiday

Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy program in the United States, going back to 1913, when Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, proposed the holiday. The date of the celebration has bounced around a bit, from November to May and then quickly becoming a twice-a-year event in November and May in 2018. Organized by Every Child a Reader, Children Book Week’s theme for 2025 is “An Ocean of Stories.” This theme celebrates the “vast, collective ocean populated by the stories we read, share, and tell.” To learn more about this literary holiday, visit Every Child a Reader to find out more about the week and discover lots of resources, including bookmarks and activities to download.

Thank you to Beach Lane Books and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy of this book for review!

The Elevator on 74th Street

Written by Laura Gehl | Illustrated by Yas Imamura

 

Ellie the elevator loved all of the tenants in her building and treated each person with special care, for instance she played “her music louder for Mrs. Sanchez who was deaf in one ear,” and held the doors open extra long for Mr. Chen who used a cane. She did, however, have a “soft spot for Thea,” whose first day home from the hospital as a baby was Ellie’s first day in the building.

Illustration © 2025 by Yas Imamura. Text © 2025 by Laura Gehl. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Ellie had watched Thea grow up, so when her best friend had to move away, Ellie wanted to make her feel better. She tried playing her favorite song over and over and “lit up her buttons to form a T.” While these kind gestures helped, Thea was still sad. Then one day a new family moved in with a girl Thea’s age named Claire. Ellie hoped they would connect, but it never happened.

Illustration © 2025 by Yas Imamura. Text © 2025 by Laura Gehl. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

When Thea found Claire’s favorite hat in the lobby, Ellie took her to the right floor to return it. That started them talking. In only a few weeks, they were practicing dance moves together, wearing the same outfit, telling jokes, and sharing good news and bad. Ellie was excited to see their burgeoning friendship, even if they didn’t notice her part in it. 

But they did. In fact, Thea and Claire decided to throw a party for Ellie. They decorated her interior and her doorway, and the tenants gathered in the lobby to listen to music, dance, and celebrate. Ellie couldn’t help but love her job even more.

Illustration © 2025 by Yas Imamura. Text © 2025 by Laura Gehl. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Laura Gehl’s delightful story is made all the more enchanting for its unique setting and sweet, caring main character. Gehl captures the vibe of a diverse apartment-building community as Ellie notices the needs of each tenant and loves everyone who steps inside her doors. Her special bond with Thea will charm readers as they watch her find a new friend and celebrate Ellie’s part in it. Children who live in apartment-style buildings or condos will love the representation here, and those who just love elevators (what child doesn’t love pushing the buttons?) will also find much to enjoy in Gehl’s book.

Yas Imamura populates her art deco apartment building with a pleasing array of personalities and ages. Kids will have fun catching sight of various tenants multiple times throughout the story and watching Thea and Claire’s friendship blossom from not noticing each other to besties. The star of the show, though, is Ellie, and she’s a dear with her sprightly blue edifice, filigree button cover, expressive eyes, and row of floor numbers that curve into a smile when she’s especially happy. Readers may even enjoy making up stories for all of the building’s tenants!

An adorable book about kindness and making friends amongst the flair of city living, The Elevator on 74th Street should be going up on your picture book shelves!

Ages 4 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1665905077

About the Author

Laura Gehl is the author of One Big Pair of Underwear, Cat Has a Plan, Goat Wants to Eat, Pig Makes Art, Dog Can Hide, Cat Sees Snow, Frog Can Hop, Snow Is…, You’re the Sprinkles on My Ice Cream, You’re the Pumpkin in My Pie, and The Elevator on 74th Street. She lives with her husband and their four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Visit her online at LauraGehl.com.

About the Illustrator

Yas Imamura is an Asian American illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. Her works include collaborations with Anthropologie and Sanrio, as well as her growing list of children’s books such as Can You Imagine? by Lisa Tolin and The Elevator on 74th Street by Laura Gehl. Her preferred materials are gouache and watercolor and she often finds herself drawn to projects that are playful, mysterious, and a little offbeat.

Children’s Book Week Activity

Children’s Book Week Coloring Page

 

Download and print this An Ocean of Stories coloring page of the official 2025 Children’s Book Week poster by author Julie Flett. You can find more coloring pages as well as bookmarks to print from Every Child a Reader here.

You can purchase The Elevator on 74th Street from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

January 17 – It’s National Book Blitz Month

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About the Holiday

Whenever you and your family visit the bookstore or library, do you look around, and think “if only I had the time for them all . . .. ” Are you always looking for more shelves for your collection? Is your library card the first one on your ring? If so, you’ll love Book Blitz Month! During this month book lovers are given the green light to read, read, read as many books as possible! Or if there’s a tome you’ve always wanted to tackle, crack the cover and let yourself become immersed in someone else’s story. For kids, Book Blitz Month can be particularly exciting. Sit down with your child or students and make a stack of books they’d like to read. Find time every day to read one, two, or a few of the books in the pile. Seeing the stack shrink gives kids a sense of accomplishment, and they might even want to build it up again! Mix reading with fun activities to encourage a new generation of avid readers!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books and Barb Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sharing a copy of Snow Is . . . with me. All opinions on the book are my own.

Snow Is . . .

Written by Laura Gehl | Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez

 

The very fact of snow is a wonder. While rain nourishes, snow transforms. The world looks, feels, sounds, and even smells different with the advent of snow, and a playful giddiness bubbles up in both young and old, pushing off the task of shoveling out. Laura Gehl’s lovely poetry expresses those moment-to-moment changes snow brings both outside the window and in our hearts. 

Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2024, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2024. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Gehl’s story begins as so often happens with a child waking to a surprise snow day. Drawn to the window, he gazes out, then suddenly “snow is a thunder of feet and a shout. / Snow is two happy pink tongues sticking out” as he grabs his scarf, boots, hat, mittens, and sled and tears downstairs, rushing outside with his dog. His dad, steaming coffee in hand, comes out to watch.

Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2024, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2024. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

When the ground becomes blanketed and roofs frosted in white like a cake, for a mischievous child “snow is a hoard that is set for attack. / Snow is Dad’s face . . . when a snowball goes WHACK!” And when Mom brings the baby out, bundled up against the chill, “snow is bright eyes and small cheeks cold and rosy” while for big brother and Dad, who’ve been making snow bricks, “snow is a castle that’s roomy and cozy.”

But as the sun starts to set and it’s—so reluctantly—time to go inside, snow becomes “. . . warm cookies . . .” and “. . . a fire with snuggles and books.” And, at last, warm in pajamas and under “. . . blankets pulled tight,” snow is ‘I love you’ and snow is ‘Good night.'”

Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2024, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2024. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Adults will adore sharing Snow Is . . . with their kids, and children will beg to hear the story again and again. In her smooth-as-a-sled-ride rhyming couplets, Laura Gehl captures not only the mercurial nature of snow itself but all the sights, sounds, and tiny details that make snow days so thrilling, cozy, and memory-making for kids and adults alike. Gehl’s descriptions and language are a delight and engage all the emotions with their humor, poignancy, sweetness, and awe.

Sonia Sánchez’s stunning illustrations take readers into the heart of a snowy day with action-filled scenes of swirling flakes, twirling feet, and packing of snow into a snowman, snowballs, and bricks. Readers can almost feel the pre-sliding suspense of the child standing at the edge of a long hill. As night falls and the family goes inside, Sánchez imbues her pages with quiet coziness, sibling and parental love, and that heartwarming tug of home.

Snow Is . . . will quickly become a family favorite read aloud for years to come. Teachers and librarians will find the book an exciting addition to their collections as well as for story times, with many applications for art, writing, and even science connections. 

Ages 4 – 8

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-1665915595

About the Author

Laura Gehl is the author of One Big Pair of Underwear, Cat Has a Plan, Goat Wants to Eat, Pig Makes Art, Dog Can Hide, Cat Sees Snow, Frog Can Hop, Snow Is…, You’re the Sprinkles on My Ice Cream, You’re the Pumpkin in My Pie, and The Elevator on 74th Street. She lives with her husband and their four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Visit her online at LauraGehl.com.

About the Illustrator

Sonia Sánchez’s picture book, Here I Am, written by Patti Kim, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who called her illustrations “beautiful, evocative” and raved, “Sánchez has captured a kaleidoscope of emotion and powerful sensations in a way children will grasp completely.” Her illustrations have been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award in the category of Best Painter. Sonia lives with her husband and a cat in Barcelona, Spain.

National Book Blitz Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sock-snowman-craft

Snow Buddies

This is a fun and easy craft for kids to make on a snowy day inside to share with a friend! 

Supplies

  • Child’s white dress ankle socks
  • Polyester Fiber Fill
  • Tiny buttons for eyes. I added a little heart button to the larger snowman too.
  • Fleece or ribbon, enough for a scarf
  • Toothpick
  • Twigs
  • Orange craft paint
  • Cardboard
  • String or white rubber bands
  • Fabric or craft glue

Directions

To Make the Snowman

  1. Cut a circle from the cardboard about 2 inches in diameter for the base
  2. Place the cardboard circle in the bottom of the sock
  3. Fill the sock with fiber fill about ¾ full or to where the ribbed ankle cuff begins. Pack tightly while making a sausage shape. 
  4. Stretch out the cuff of the sock and tie it off near the top of the fill with string.
  5. Fold the cuff down around the top of the filled sock to make the hat.
  6. Wrap a rubber band or string around the middle of the sock to make a two-snowball snowman. For a three-snowball snowman, use two rubber bands. Adjust the rubber bands to make the “snowballs” different sizes.

To Make the Scarf

  1. Cut a strip of fleece or ribbon 8 to 10 inches long by ½ inch wide
  2. Tie the fleece or ribbon around the neck of the snowman

To Make the Face

  1. Dip one end of the toothpick into orange paint, let dry
  2. Cut the toothpick in half
  3. Stick the toothpick into the head or top portion of the snowman
  4. Attach two mini-buttons to the face for eyes with the fabric or craft glue

To Make the Arms

  1. Insert small twigs into each side of the body of the snowman
  2. You can also use wire or cardboard to make the arms

You can purchase Snow Is . . . at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

November 17 – It’s Inspirational Role Models Month

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-cover

About the Holiday

In 2005 Detroit native Darlene House, who made her mark in communications jobs held by few minorities or women, created National Inspirational Role Models Month to encourage people, and especially young people, to look for those who inspire them to be the best they can be. By identifying role models within their community, in the world at large, or at some time in history and studying their character, motivations, actions, House believed that people would find the inspiration that leads to success. Darlene House was motivated by her two strong women: the trailblazing journalist and editor Ida B. Wells Barnett and her own maternal grandmother, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Louisiana Hines (who lived to be “a still vibrant” 114). This month, talk with your kids about their role models, the qualities that make them so, and how they may want to emulate their hero. Today’s book offers biographies of scientists who are changing the world to get you started! To learn more about today’s holiday, visit the NIRMM website.

Thanks to Millbrook Press and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sharing a copy of Who Is a Scientist? for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own. I’m excited to be featuring this book again with a giveway sponsored by Millbrook Press and Blue Slip Media. See the details below.

Who Is a Scientist?

By Laura Gehl

 

Do you love science and think that maybe you’d like to be a scientist when you grow up? But do you also love to dance or surf to paint or bake? Maybe you like to play soccer or ride a motorcycle or you’re considering getting a tattoo like your mom or dad and you think that none of those are things a scientist would do. Maybe you think of scientists as a little bit stuffy with their white coats and endless graphs. Well, think again!

In Who Is a Scientist? Laura Gehl introduces you to fourteen scientists who smash those ideas. And what’s more they’re involved in some pretty fascinating and life-changing sciences and projects that you may never have heard about before but that may inspire you. For example, you’ll meet Isha M. Renata López who works as a meteorologist but “also loves to dance, play volleyball, and eat chocolate.” What’s great about her job? She alerts people to changes in the weather, and when a big storm, blizzard, hurricane, or tornado is coming, she works with emergency crews, the media, and the local government to make sure everyone knows so they can stay safe.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-meteorologist

Copyright Laura Gehl, 2021, courtesy of Millbrook Press.

“Jagmeet Kanwal studies bats and zebrafish to help figure out how the human brain makes decisions.” He’s also working to discover “how our brains allow us to hear different types of sounds.” He’s hoping to be able to “help people with depression, Parkinson’s disease, and memory loss.” What else does Jagmeet like to do? He’s also a painter and nature photographer.

If you like math, you may want to become a mathematician like Mark Lewis, who studies operations research during work hours and enjoys playing basketball in his off time. This kind of science “uses math to help business make good decisions” that affect consumer, such as how long people wait in line, how much items cost, and how transportation can move faster.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-environmental-scientist

Copyright Laura Gehl, 2021, courtesy of Millbrook Press.

Perhaps you’re interested in health and medical research like Tishina Okegbe whose work makes sure that mothers, babies, and children in Africa and Asia “have access to high-quality health-care services. In her free time, Tishina likes “visiting new places, belly dancing, and eating pizza and ice cream.”

Whether you’re interested in food systems and farming, how the brain works, the environment, space, dinosaurs, or computers, the scientists will inspire you to enjoy all of your passions. In fact, the extracurricular activities you enjoy the most may just lead you to a career you’ll love. The definition of who and what a scientist is broad and exciting as you’ll see when you meet these men and women who are changing the world while being themselves.

Back matter includes a QR code that readers can scan to view a video in which each profiled scientist introduces themselves. There’s also a flow chart that can lead kids to the type of scientist they might want to be or at least research further based on their interests.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-environmental-engineer

Copyright Laura Gehl, 2021, courtesy of Millbrook Press.

Laura Gehl’s engaging and inspiring look at a variety of scientists and their disciplines will get all kids excited about the wide range of work going on around them and the people who make it happen. Her profiles of these thinkers, activists, and active members of their communities show kids that they don’t need to be defined only by their career and that scientists—who are needed now more than ever—are a diverse group and welcoming to all. Each profile is accompanied by photographs of the scientist in their lab or other work environment as well as action shots of them enjoying their off time in their favorite pursuits.

A smart, inviting, and educational introduction to the people who are helping to make the world a better place through science and other STEM-related fields, Who Is a Scientist? is sure to inform readers on the wide-range of specialized work that falls under the umbrella of science and spark their interest in learning where they may fit in. The book is highly recommended for home bookshelves and is a must for classroom, school, and public libraries.

Ages 4 – 9

Millbrook Press, 2021 | ISBN 978-1728441085

Meet the scientists in this Who Is a Scientist? Book Trailer!

One Question with Laura Gehl

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-laura-gehl-headshot

Laura Gehl is the author of more than a dozen books for children, including One Big Pair of Underwear, Except When They Don’t, the Peep and Egg series, and the Baby Scientist and Brilliant Baby board books. In addition to being an author, Dr. Gehl has a PhD in neuroscience and is the mother of four children. She lives with her family in Maryland. 

You can connect with Laura on her Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Hi Laura! I loved reading your book and getting to know some of the scientists working today. I also enjoyed seeing how some of their other interests are reflected in their work while others are great ways to relax and play—definitely something kids can relate to!

I was wondering if or how a previous job (or jobs) has influenced your writing and the kinds of books you write. 

I used to work in a neurobiology lab, and I also used to teach science. Both of those jobs made me want to write books about science and scientists! When I taught science, I realized that very few kids had met a real scientist or had read about any scientists more recent than Albert Einstein or Marie Curie. Flash forward twenty years and my new photo-illustrated picture book Who Is a Scientist? features fourteen real scientists working today in different fields from astronomy to entomology to paleontology. While the book talks about the fascinating work these scientists are doing, it also talks about the other things the scientists love…like dancing, soccer, junk food, watching movies, and playing with their pets. I hope this book helps kids realize that scientists are just like them—curious people with lots of different passions who like to ask and answer interesting questions.

Thanks, Laura! Through your books you’ve found a perfect way to share your love and knowledge of science with kids! I wish you all the best with Who Is a Scientist?!

You can find a Teacher’s Guide to Who Is a Scientist? and her other books on Laura Gehl’s website here.

Who Is a Scientist? Giveaway

I’m happy to be teaming with Millbrook Press and Blue Slip Media in a giveaway of:

  • One (1) copy of Who Is a Scientist? by Laura Gehl 

To enter:

  • Follow Celebrate Picture Books
  • Retweet a giveaway tweet
  • Bonus: Reply with your favorite scientist for extra entry

This giveaway is open from November 17 to November 22 and ends at 8:00 p.m. EST.

A winner will be chosen on November 23. 

Prizing provided by Millbrook Press and Blue Slip Media

Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only. | No Giveaway Accounts 

Inspirational Role Models Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-scientists-word-search-puzzle

Be a Scientist!

 

If you’re dreaming of being a scientist, you could grow up to be one of the scientists in this printable word search puzzle. Which would you choose?

What Kind of Scientist Would You Be? Puzzle | What Kind of Scientist Would You Be? Solution

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-cover

You can find Who Is a Scientist? at these booksellers. Due to shipping delays, preorders are now being taken.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

November 3 – It’s Family Literacy Month

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-odd-beasts-cover

About the Holiday

National Family Literacy Month was designed to encourage parents and other adults to read together with the children in their life. Studies show that children who are read to are better prepared to read on their own and do better in school. Cuddling together before bedtime or during special story times with favorite books instills a love of reading that can last a lifetime. To celebrate, plan some special reading-related activities: take a trip to a local bookstore and let your child pick a book; if your child is old enough, visit the library to sign up for a library card; and schedule extra reading time, especially with grandparents or other family members who may be visiting for the holidays. A fun and educational board book like today’s book is a perfect way to get little ones enthusiastic about reading as they grow older!

Thank you to Abrams Appleseed and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sharing Odd Beasts: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Animals with me for review consideration. All opinions about the book are my own.

Odd Beasts: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Animals

Written by Laura Gehl | Illustrated by Gareth Lucas

 

From their earliest years, kids are attracted to animals, whether for their fluffy coats, enthusiastic “kisses,” or silly antics. They love visiting the zoo and the aquarium to see – and maybe even touch – animals and sea creatures from around the world. And they’re always excited to meet new animals through the books they read. Through an age-appropriate short, charming poem played out over eight boldly illustrated pages, Laura Gehl does just that, introducing kids to a few of the earth’s most unusual animals. 

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-odd-beasts-sunfish

Image copyright Gareth Lucas, 2021, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2021. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

Gehl begins with an animal from Asia and Africa that at first glance might appear like an unlikely combination of an anteater and a fish – the pangolin! Turning the page, readers do meet a fish – and what a fish! “This sunfish weighs a ton.” Another ocean dweller is introduced two pages later: “This angler sees no sun.” Readers will be equally charmed by a turtle whose “neck is long,” and a clever camouflaged insect whose “jumps are strong.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-odd-beasts-angler

Image copyright Gareth Lucas, 2021, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2021. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

In addition to these three quirky creatures, kids get to know a glass frog, a long-horned orb-weaver spider, and a bush baby. Then Gehl tickles kids’ funny bone with a surprising perspective about how beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Following her lyrical pages, Gehl presents readers with a factual paragraph about each critter that reveals more about the trait that makes them so unusual and where they live. These descriptions are accompanied by a full-color photograph of the animal so kids can get a close-up view of nature’s amazing adaptations.

For young nature-lovers in the making, Odd Beasts: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Animals is an engaging way to introduce them to a few creatures from around the world that will whet their appetite for more discovery. The book would be a much-read addition to home, classroom, and school and public library bookshelves.

Ages 2 – 4

Abrams Appleseed, 2021 | ISBN 978-1419742224

Discover more about Laura Gehl and her books on her website.

You can connect with Gareth Lucas on Instagram and Twitter. 

Family Literacy Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-odd-beasts-laura-gehl-coloring-pages-turtle

Odd Beasts Coloring Pages

 

These odd beasts could use some color! Download and print these three coloring sheets from Laura Gehl’s website!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-odd-beasts-cover

You can find Odd Beasts: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Animals at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

 

October 7 – It’s National Book Month

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-cover

About the Holiday

This month-long holiday was established to get families excited about reading. As the weather turns cooler and activities turn indoors, reading together is a wonderful way to spend time laughing, learning, and making memories. Small children love being read to—and so do older kids! Sharing board books, picture books, and chapter books with younger readers opens up new worlds of imagination, feelings, and discovery. Taking the journey of a novel, graphic novel, or biography together with tweens and teens can provide inspiring, emotional, funny, and bonding moments that last a lifetime.

Thanks to Millbrook Press and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sharing a copy of Who Is a Scientist? for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Who Is a Scientist?

By Laura Gehl

 

Do you love science and think that maybe you’d like to be a scientist when you grow up? But do you also love to dance or surf to paint or bake? Maybe you like to play soccer or ride a motorcycle or you’re considering getting a tattoo like your mom or dad and you think that none of those are things a scientist would do. Maybe you think of scientists as a little bit stuffy with their white coats and endless graphs. Well, think again!

In Who Is a Scientist? Laura Gehl introduces you to fourteen scientists who smash those ideas. And what’s more they’re involved in some pretty fascinating and life-changing sciences and projects that you may never have heard about before but that may inspire you. For example, you’ll meet Isha M. Renata López who works as a meteorologist but “also loves to dance, play volleyball, and eat chocolate.” What’s great about her job? She alerts people to changes in the weather, and when a big storm, blizzard, hurricane, or tornado is coming, she works with emergency crews, the media, and the local government to make sure everyone knows so they can stay safe.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-meteorologist

“Jagmeet Kanwal studies bats and zebrafish to help figure out how the human brain makes decisions.” He’s also working to discover “how our brains allow us to hear different types of sounds.” He’s hoping to be able to “help people with depression, Parkinson’s disease, and memory loss.” What else does Jagmeet like to do? He’s also a painter and nature photographer.

If you like math, you may want to become a mathematician like Mark Lewis, who studies operations research during work hours and enjoys playing basketball in his off time. This kind of science “uses math to help business make good decisions” that affect consumer, such as how long people wait in line, how much items cost, and how transportation can move faster.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-environmental-scientist

Perhaps you’re interested in health and medical research like Tishina Okegbe whose work makes sure that mothers, babies, and children in Africa and Asia “have access to high-quality health-care services. In her free time, Tishina likes “visiting new places, belly dancing, and eating pizza and ice cream.”

Whether you’re interested in food systems and farming, how the brain works, the environment, space, dinosaurs, or computers, the scientists will inspire you to enjoy all of your passions. In fact, the extracurricular activities you enjoy the most may just lead you to a career you’ll love. The definition of who and what a scientist is broad and exciting as you’ll see when you meet these men and women who are changing the world while being themselves.

Back matter includes a QR code that readers can scan to view a video in which each profiled scientist introduces themselves. There’s also a flow chart that can lead kids to the type of scientist they might want to be or at least research further based on their interests.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-who-is-a-scientist-environmental-engineer

Laura Gehl’s engaging and inspiring look at a variety of scientists and their disciplines will get all kids excited about the wide range of work going on around them and the people who make it happen. Her profiles of these thinkers, activists, and active members of their communities show kids that they don’t need to be defined only by their career and that scientists—who are needed now more than ever—are a diverse group and welcoming to all. Each profile is accompanied by photographs of the scientist in their lab or other work environment as well as action shots of them enjoying their off time in their favorite pursuits.

A smart, inviting, and educational introduction to the people who are helping to make the world a better place through science and other STEM-related fields, Who Is a Scientist? is sure to inform readers on the wide-range of specialized work that falls under the umbrella of science and spark their interest in learning where they may fit in. The book is highly recommended for home bookshelves and is a must for classroom, school, and public libraries.

Ages 4 – 9

Millbrook Press, 2021 | ISBN 978-1728441085

Meet the scientists in this Who Is a Scientist? Book Trailer!

One Question with Laura Gehl

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-laura-gehl-headshot

Laura Gehl is the author of more than a dozen books for children, including One Big Pair of Underwear, Except When They Don’t, the Peep and Egg series, and the Baby Scientist and Brilliant Baby board books. In addition to being an author, Dr. Gehl has a PhD in neuroscience and is the mother of four children. She lives with her family in Maryland. 

You can connect with Laura on her Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Hi Laura! I loved reading your book and getting to know some of the scientists working today. I also enjoyed seeing how some of their other interests are reflected in their work while others are great ways to relax and play—definitely something kids can relate to!

I was wondering if or how a previous job (or jobs) has influenced your writing and the kinds of books you write. 

I used to work in a neurobiology lab, and I also used to teach science. Both of those jobs made me want to write books about science and scientists! When I taught science, I realized that very few kids had met a real scientist or had read about any scientists more recent than Albert Einstein or Marie Curie. Flash forward twenty years and my new photo-illustrated picture book Who Is a Scientist? features fourteen real scientists working today in different fields from astronomy to entomology to paleontology. While the book talks about the fascinating work these scientists are doing, it also talks about the other things the scientists love…like dancing, soccer, junk food, watching movies, and playing with their pets. I hope this book helps kids realize that scientists are just like them—curious people with lots of different passions who like to ask and answer interesting questions.

Thanks, Laura! Through your books you’ve found a perfect way to share your love and knowledge of science with kids! I wish you all the best with Who Is a Scientist?!

You can find a Teacher’s Guide to Who Is a Scientist? and her other books on Laura Gehl’s website here.

National Book Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-silly-balloons

Static Electricity Experiment!

 

We all know that cooler weather means shock season will soon be here. But you don’t have to wait until the fuzzy socks and fleecy blankets come out to have some fun exploring the science of static electricity. Using a blown-up balloon can be a dramatic way to show kids what’s going on with the electrons that are at the center of this phenomenon.

Babies and young children should be supervised by an adult while playing with balloons.

How does it work? Static electricity is generated when there is an excess of electrons on one object giving it an electric charge. These electrons are attracted to an object with fewer electrons and will jump to it when placed close by.

How do you produce static electricity? Just rub the blown-up balloon on your shirt, on your hair, on a blanket or other surface. Then try these experiments!

CRAZY HAIR

Generate static electricity on a blown-up balloon then hold it near your hair and watch it go a little crazy!

HANG A BALLOON

Generate static electricity on a blown-up balloon and gently place it on the wall and watch it hang all by itself.

BEND WATER

This bit of balloon magic will amaze you! Generate static electricity on a blown-up balloon. Turn on a faucet to a thin stream of water. Hold the balloon near the stream of water and watch it bend toward the balloon. 

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You can find Who Is a Scientist? at these booksellers. Due to shipping delays, preorders are now being taken.

Amazon | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review