Follow Your Passion! Cece Loves Science by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes

CECE LOVED TO ASK QUESTIONS.

HER MOTHER SAID HER FIRST WORD WAS "WHY?"

And immediately Cece had follow-up questions:

"HOW?"

"WHAT IF?"

And a scientist is born.

She asked her teacher what would happen if everyone jumped up and down together.

"WOULD THE EARTH MOVE?"

"LET'S INVESTIGATE!" SAID MS. CURIE.

Cece's teacher tells her class about the scientific method used to investigate phenomena. What questions do we ask, in what order, and how do we interpret what we observe? she asks. Along the way students also learn about famous scientists and the branches of science in which they work.

The class chooses an investigation: Do dogs eat vegetables? Do some of them love fruits? What food do they like best? How about cats? If you mix vegetables with their cat chow, what will they do?

Cece reports that her dog Einstein loves banana smoothies but her cat eats the kitty kibble and leaves the vegetables and fruit at the bottom of the bowl. Hmmm! The data are not so conclusive. Ms. Curie points out that some of their results may require them to think outside the (cat chow) box.

Kimberly Derting and Shelli Johannes' just published Cece Loves Science (Greenwillow, 2018) points out how curious kids can find answers--and also new questions--in science. And that's the fun of it, as Cece pours heart and soul into the next question, as scientists do. Cece is a likable leader, illustrated with some charm by Vashti Harrison with a bright palette and with digitally drawn kids looking for the illusive answers in science. Author Derting offers an appendix of Cece's Science Facts, a glossary with biographic entries to familiarize primary students with some famous scientists. "A fun way to introduce scientific methods," says Booklist.