I Want to Be a Scientist

December 1, 2023

K-Gr 2-This early reader opens with a young person who uses crutches accompanying their mom on a research trip to the North Pole. The main character invites readers along on this trip and explains different practices of research scientists. "Like all scientists, they watch, listen, and collect facts. They test ideas to see if they are right. Some scientists try to find the cause of a problem. Some of them try to solve problems. All scientists want to learn more about our world." Digital illustrations look like watercolors, showcasing the artist's style with shadow, texture, and depth. The characters are racially diverse and there is inclusion of disability but not much variation of body type. Driscoll distills complicated ideas about science professions into simple sentences for understanding and readability. The "I Can Read My Community" series explores professions such as engineer, firefighter, and veterinarian. VERDICT A good choice as part of a series that can help establish a core collection of early reader titles.-Ellen Williams

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 In this upbeat addition to her My Community series (under the I Can Read! banner), Driscoll introduces scientific careers to beginning readers. The framework story is told by an older child accompanying her mother and other scientists on a voyage to the North Pole. During the expedition, readers will meet the scientists in the group, from astronomer to zoologist, and learn a little about each field. Rosa, a geologist, uses an underwater scanner to map the seafloor, while Jim, a seismologist, is studying underwater earthquakes. Emma, a climate scientist, tracks air and water temperatures to estimate the ice-melt rate near the North Pole. Zena, a biologist, observes polar bears. Wearing glasses and using crutches, the narrator sometimes helps the scientists with their work. Near the end, she muses about other scientific fields. The text flows swiftly and smoothly from one scene to the next, offering just enough information and detail to be useful. Echeverri make good use of basic forms and rich, contrasting colors in the attractive illustrations. An appealing introduction to scientific careers.

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February 15, 2024
Aspiring young scientists, take heed! Traveling on a ship to the North Pole would seem an adventure in itself, but the young, unnamed narrator, whose mother heads up a team of marine biologists, also gets to meet eight other scientists involved in other specialties. On almost every page of this early reader, we encounter someone engaged in different fieldwork: a hydrologist, a microbiologist, a geologist, a seismologist, a climate scientist, a meteorologist, a zoologist, and an astronomer. As the narrator thinks about careers in science, more specialty roles--botanist, epidemiologist, and physicist--are added to the list. The work of these scientists is clearly and simply explained. (Appended is a short list with descriptions of 10 specialties.) The unfussy illustrations are washed in glowing colors, with many shades of blue; when snow forms the background, the scientists' bright jackets pop. The ship itself is a fire-engine red. Beginners might need help reading or pronouncing some of the researchers' special fields, but overall this is an engaging introduction to a wide and important area of work. The scientists include men and women and are racially diverse. The narrator and Mom are light-skinned; the child uses crutches. An informative and accessible child's-eye view of STEM careers. (Early reader/nonfiction. 4-8)

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