Georgia's Terrific, Colorific Experiment

February 1, 2019
Georgia is a science lover stuck in a family of artists--but can art and science work together to make something greater than the sum of its parts?Science fascinates Georgia, "from the vastness of the cosmos to the cell structures of plants and animals." She admires the scientific experiments of the greats, such as Curie, Galileo, and Newton. One day, she is inspired to create her own unique experiment, but when she tells her family about her idea, they all offer help of the artistic variety. Georgia does not think art will help her scientific pursuits. After a shouting match with her brother, she stalks off to her lab. When inspiration fails to strike, she realizes that trying something new requires creativity...and that science has more in common with art than she thought. Georgia and her family find common ground and help each other in their pursuits. Rainbows of color in streaks, shapes, and swirls fill each busy spread. Georgia and family are various shades of brown with wavy hair. While real children are constantly experimenting, the idea of being a "TRUE scientist" will resonate with some, as will the story of finding common ground after feeling at odds. There is no backmatter about the scientific content, so this book will work best when paired with other selections for more explicit introductions.Emotionally satisfying and visually appealing, Georgia's story is fun to peruse. (Picture book. 5-9)

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June 28, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Georgia is a young girl who is not like her family. Her parents, grandmother, and brother have an artistic bent. They love to paint, draw, sculpt, and cut. Even the family dog has creative ideas. But Georgia wants to be a scientist. She loves space, animals, and plants. She's intrigued by the scientists she learns about, like Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, and Galileo. When Georgia wants to create her own experiment, her family is more than ready to lend a helping hand. They offer to help her sketch her plan out and add color. Or maybe she could sculpt something cool for the experiment. This is too much for Georgia to take. She tells them art has nothing to do with science and storms off. Perhaps there is a way science and art can be combined-with some help from those who love her. The connections made between science and art provide perfect teaching opportunities. The illustrations are wildly imaginative and full of vivid colors. Images swirl around Georgia as she ponders fascinating science topics and potential experiments. VERDICT This book is a welcome addition to any collection. It's bound to appeal to budding artists and curious young science lovers alike.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
Grades K-3 In a family of artists, Georgia alone has a yen for science. Fascinated by astronomy, biology, and physics, her bedroom is decorated with posters of Jane Goodall and the periodic table, and it's there she develops experiments and revels in her science-ness. While her encouraging family of color offers to lend their artistic talents to her work, she's determined to use only her proper calculations and not silly imaginative ideas. But it's harder than she thought to create something unique, and eventually, she has a eureka moment: With art and science working in harmony, inspiration never runs dry. If that denouement is somewhat lackluster, it certainly gets the A into STEAM. A first-time author, Persico has dozens of illustrating credits, several with Little Golden Books, which makes sense as the fanciful pictures, many of which feature Georgia flying through her imagination, evoke the best of those classic titles with cool swirls of blue, green, pink, and orange bubbling out of beakers. A scientific adventure full of luster.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)