I'm a Neutrino: Tiny Particles in a Big Universe (Meet the Universe)

Gr 1-5--This book tackles a huge topic about the tiny particles that zoom all around us. Neutrinos are mysterious particles that have been around since the beginning of time. The narrator, a neutrino, unravels some of the secrets these specks hold. Neutrino describes how they are similar to electrons, but without an electrical charge. In addition to science content, the math concept of exponents is mentioned when Neutrino explains how light the particles are. The text is straightforward, allowing young readers to start to grasp a difficult scientific concept. However, some of the vocabulary is challenging. Vavagiakis includes a noteworthy appendix with additional information about neutrinos, including links to several additional resources for further exploration. The illustrations are awash with beautiful blues, oranges, and other hues; the illustrator creates whimsical neutrinos that bounce from page to page. It's an ambitious science topic simplified to a level many will be able to handle. VERDICT If your shelves are in need of particle science this might be a nice addition, although the concept is very abstract and will probably need further explanation by additional sources.--Erin Olsen

The mother-daughter team behind this introduction to the neutrino--the most abundant of nature's mass-possessing particles--invites budding physicists to help solve the mysteries of this fundamental building block. "I am a particle, like electrons and light./ I can pass through you without stopping my flight!" a neutrino narrates in spare rhyming verse, Vavagiakis's personification imparting a user-friendly tone. Digitally rendered illustrations by Lemesis do the same, depicting stylized neutrinos as tiny, spiky-haired beings that dance across the swirls of a colorful cosmos or fly through a particle accelerator. Though some vocabulary initially used without definition (fermion, muon, tau) may confuse readers not yet in the know, helpful "Know Your Neutrinos" back matter expands upon each spread with accessible scientific detail. Unabashedly tackling a complex subject, this STEM read is sure to inspire curiosity. Ages 7-9. (Mar.)