Review - Cece Loves Science

Cece Loves Science
by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes
illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Date: 2018
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: hardcover
Source: library

Cece loves science! This STEM-themed picture book, the first in a series, follows inquisitive Cece as she poses one of life’s most pressing questions—do dogs eat vegetables? With her best friend, Isaac, Cece uses science to uncover the answer. This entertaining and educational book is perfect for readers who love Andrea Beaty’s Ada Twist, Scientist and the companion volumes.

Cece’s parents say she was born asking questions. Why? How? What if? So when her science teacher, Ms. Curie, assigns a project about zoology, Cece has the perfect question: Do dogs eat vegetables? Working from their treehouse lab, Cece and her best friend, Isaac, investigate, research, and collect and analyze data, using Cece’s adorable (and hungry!) dog, Einstein, as their case study.

In their picture book debut, authors Kimberly Derting and Shelli Wells and illustrator Vashti Harrison have created a diverse and charming cast of characters who love school and science. This engaging and educational STEM picture book is just right for readers of Andrea Beaty’s Rosie Revere, Engineer, and Kobi Yamada’s What Do You Do With an Idea?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

While I appreciate the premise of this book, I found it just a little basic and kind of young.

Cece loves science! And she loves her teacher, Ms. Curie. When the teacher assigns the class a project to do in pairs, Cece and her friend Isaac come up with a question and then use the scientific method to answer it.

I like that this book demonstrates the scientific method in an easy-to-understand way. The kids' experiments with trying to get the dog to eat his vegetables are kind of amusing, too. What really brought up this book's rating for me, though, are Vashti Harrison's adorable illustrations. I first came across her work in her duo of books featuring strong women from history. The style is a little different here, but no less cute. The kids and the dog, as well as Cece's treehouse, are drawn in a colourful, animated way that's likely to appeal to young readers.

It's nice to see a book about a girl so interested in science. I would recommend it; even though it read kind of young for me, I'm sure kids will enjoy it.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5