Review: Ouch: Tales of Gravity

What is gravity and how do you explain it?

How do you put this scientific concept in historical context?

And just who ‘discovered’ gravity anyway?

In Ouch: Tales of Gravity, author Kate Simpson points out that people knew about gravity well before Isaac Newton, even if they didn’t realise it.

Just the process of something falling and hitting us on the foot, head, or somewhere else was a basic reminder, and one that can hurt. Ouch!

Through carefully chosen examples, readers will discover how gravity pulls things towards each other, and that when they are big enough it has enough power for us to notice. 

On earth, gravity makes things heavy and we can see gravity pull them toward the ground. But in space there is no gravity and things work differently and life is a bit more difficult.

Andy Hardiman‘s illustrations are descriptive, contain just the right amount of detail, and a bit of humour, too. There’s no jumping on the bed in space!

At the back of Ouch there are some key facts about gravity, and the part Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein played in helping to explain it. There’s also a simple experiment for readers to try. All you need is two similar-sized plastic bottles and some water.

Perfect for home or school, Ouch: Tales of Gravity is a great book for introducing and explaining an important concept to children, whatever their age.

Download Teachers’ Tips from the publisher’s website for discussion prompts and activities.

Title: Ouch: Tales of Gravity
Author: Kate Simpson
Illustrator: Andy Hardiman
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: Februrary 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526610
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Non Fiction

February 19, 2022 at 11:32PM Unknown