Review - Rosie Revere, Engineer

Rosie Revere, Engineer
by Andrea Beaty
illustrated by David Roberts
Date: 2013
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fly but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose inisists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book was the second I've read from this author. The first, Ada Twist, Scientist, was cute, but I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as Rosie Revere, Engineer. Aside from the great message to never give up when it seems like you might have failed, the illustrations are well done and Rosie's inventions (especially the anti-python cheese helmet) are pretty amusing. Like Ada Twist, Scientist, this is another book that may encourage little girls to pursue their STEM dreams. I think I really would've liked this one when I was a kid.

Quotable moment:

Alone in her attic, the moon high above, dear Rosie made gadgets and gizmos she loved.

And when she grew sleepy, she hid her machines far under the bed, where they'd never be seen.

Premise: 5/5
Meter: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.71 out of 5