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Five Faves: Scientist Picture Books

There are so many new things to explore and learn about in the world. Scientists ask questions and then do experiments to find answers. Even young people can be scientists by doing their own research, asking questions, and working to find answers. Here are a couple of picture books about young scientists with big ideas!

Written by Betsy Ellor
Illustrated by Luisa Vera
San Diego, CA : Yeehoo Press, 2023. Picture Book.

Yara is getting ready for the science fair at her school where she hopes to be able to prove that she is a scientist and beat Eddie, who wins every year. Yara starts to try all kinds of experiments but her dog, Renzo, keeps messing everything up! She gets worried that she won't be able to succeed with her goal.

Written by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. Picture Book.

Martha is a scientist that tries to use the scientific method to make friends so she will have people to invite to her birthday party. She ends up creating a super-magnetic helmet to try to attract friends with her "magnetic" personality. Will her magnetic hat really help her make friends?

By Nora Brech
Edinburgh : Floris Books, 2022. Picture Book.

These scientists find out that a rare bird called a Rainbow Bird is close to being extinct and set out on a journey to find and save this bird. They find all sorts of other birds along the way. This picture book has beautiful illustrations and more information in the back of the book on ways that scientists help save endangered animals.  

Written by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes
Illustrated by Joelle Murray
New York, NY : Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2020. Picture Book.

Libby and her friends are in charge of a running a science booth at their school festival. They come up with all kinds of fun experiments that people can take part in. At first no one is coming to their booth, but they find a way to attract a crowd and enjoy their time. This books has instruction in the back on how to do each of the experiments that are talked about during the story! 

Written by Michelle Schaub
Illustrated by Alice Potter
Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, 2020. Picture Book.

Even scientists need to sleep and this is the perfect bedtime story to read before bed. This book features diverse children scientists of all kinds going to bed. It shows an astronaut, a botanist, a physicist, a anthropologist, and many others. Each page is so detailed and shows a variety of fun STEM themed rooms with each child.  

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