Newton and Me

by Lynne Mayer, Sherry Rogers (Illustrator)

Overview

While at play with his dog, Newton, a young boy discovers the laws of force and motion in his everyday activities. Told in rhyme, Lynne Mayer's Newton and Me follows these best friends on an adventure as they apply physics to throwing a ball, pulling a wagon, riding a bike, and much more. They will realize that Newton's Laws of Motion describe experiences they have every day, and they will recognize how forces affect the objects around them. The “For Creative Minds” educational section includes: Force and Motion Fun Facts, Matching Forces, Who Was Newton?, and Newton's Laws of Motion (2 of 3). Additional teaching activities and interactive quizzes are available on the Arbordale Publishing website.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607188667
Publisher:	Arbordale Publishing
Publication date:	03/28/2010
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	31,649
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

Mayer and Rogers use cheery couplets and artwork to explore the laws of physics via a boy’s activities with his dog, Newton. “No matter how hard I would throw the ball up,/ it would always come down to me and my pup.” The boy observes that his wagon is easier to pull when empty, that it’s easier to bike with the wind at his back than against it, and that “playing with Newton gave me the notion/ that pushing and pulling are forces of motion.” Educational materials at the end help make the concepts more concrete. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

In Newton and Me, a young boy and his dog, Newton, enjoy a day filled with examples of how Newton's laws of motion. They play with a ball and learn that the amount of force they put into pushing it affects how long and how far it will roll. The young boy discovers that it is much easier to ride his bike when the wind isn't blowing against him, and that when he is going downhill, he must drag his feet on the ground to avoid accelerating too quickly. Rogers' illustrations are filled with fun nods to physics; the young boy has a mathematical equation on his T-shirt, and a license plate reads M=Mass. Newton and Me is a great picture book, but unlikely to have its intended effect of teaching the four to eight-year-old demographic about physics. More likely, they will thoroughly enjoy the rhyming narrative and cute illustrations, and maybe, if they reread the book later, realize the significance behind the young boy and Newton's play day. Reviewer: Jennifer Waldrop

Children's Literature - Jennifer Waldrop

K-Gr 2—Mayer investigates force and motion in everyday activities. In a rhyming narration, a boy records his observations on gravity and inertia as he plays ball, helps his parents to landscape, and rides a bike uphill. Obviously named for the noted scientist, hound Newton looks on. The child wears a T-shirt with an apple and a formula for one of Newton's Laws. The book concludes with a series of follow-up questions and a simple restatement of Newton's first two laws of motion. This plotless book may fill a slot for an introduction to physics. Rogers's cartoons are cheerfully suburban; even the pets seem to smile.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

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