"Why is the sky blue?" "How does a boat float?" "Why can't I jump as high as this house?" In the big and bold picture book Professor Astro Cat's Atomic Adventure, by the creators of Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space, the blue feline Professor shows young readers how "physics is all around us, all the time!" His enthusiasm is catching.
In colorful, energetic double-page spreads with headlines such as "Gravity," "The Scientific Method," "Measurement," "A World of Atoms," "Newton's Laws," "Electricity," "Magnetism," "Sound Waves" and "The Science of Light," Professor Astro Cat breaks the basics of physics into small, enticing tidbits, presented in clear, conversational style: "If there was no gravity on Earth then we would all float around, which would make it difficult to eat and drink or see our friends" and "I use kinetic energy when I judo chop super villains."
Mind-bending facts are sure to inspire torrents of "did you knows." Readers will learn why humans float better in salty seawater, how everyone is "hurtling through space at colossal speeds" (even while seated in a nice comfy chair), what lightning is, how the Earth is a giant magnet, why things cast shadows, and that the word physics comes from the Greek physis, which means nature. Each spread bubbles over with cartoonish mini-dramas, instructive graphics and punchy captions that illuminate physical concepts. The groaners ("Elementary, My Dear Atom!") make this entertaining primer all that much more endearing. As Professor Astro Cat says, "Knowledge Awaits!" --Karin Snelson, children's & YA editor, Shelf Awareness