Push-Pull Morning: Dog-Powered Poems About Matter and Energy - Lisa Westberg Peters - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Lisa Westberg Peters

ILLUSTRATOR: Serge Bloch
GENRE: Children's Picture Book, Science
RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A great concept but will work better in conjugation with other resources on the topic.

This is a picture book that has various poems on physics-based concepts. These come from the relationship between a boy and his dog. The dog’s antics and the boy’s reactions provide little readers with practical instances on topics such as friction, energy, matter, magnetism, and so on. There are extensive notes at the end of the book on each of the topics.

I loved the concept of the book. Physics can be a bit intimidating to grasp for beginners, so the idea of using a child and a dog to explain difficult concepts is quite appealing. The poems are written in a straightforward and entertaining way. Most of the physics terms come out wonderfully through the verses.

That said, a couple of the concepts (for example, energy and electricity) aren’t explained in their more popular avatars. Bridging the gap between the content of the poem and the already-familiar part of the terms will be a task for the guardians/parents/teachers.

Also, I would have loved for the definitions and notes to be presented before each poem, as they would have provided a better understanding of the concept before we see it in practical application through the two characters. Moreover, on each page, the name of the poem gets top priority, while the actual physical term is relegated to small print at the bottom corner. It would have been better if the name of the concept were given a pride of place at the top of the page.

The illustrations are as cute and quirky as the poems and definitely add on to the impact of each poem.

Despite the minor quibbles I have, this book would certainly be a great way of reinforcing some concepts of physics. It won’t be sufficient by itself to ensure a detailed understanding of the principles behind these physical terms, but it will definitely be a good starting point. It can also serve as a wonderful add-on resource in classrooms and even at home. Science when learned with real-life relatable examples is always fun, and this book proves it.

My thanks to Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for the DRC of “Push-Pull Morning: Dog-Powered Poems About Matter and Energy”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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