Book Review of Copycat Science
The Children’s Book Review
Copycat Science
Written by Mike Barfield
Ages: 7+ | 96 Pages
Publisher: Quarto Publishing, PLC (2020) | ISBN: 978-0711251823
What to Expect: STEM, history, interactive experiments, discovery, and learning.
Everyone knows about Marie Curie, Einstein, and Darwin. But how much do you know about Maria Merian—one of the first scientists to study insects? Did you know she raised her own silkworms at home at the age of 13? Copycat Science is packed full of fascinating stories about some of the world’s greatest scientists—including many you may not have heard of before.
There’s Otto Von Guericke, who discovered the concept of air pressure and helped invent the vacuum cleaner. Or Katherine Johnson, who helped develop the flight plans for the first moon landing, and who was so good at Math that her college had to invent new lessons just for her. However, even better than learning about cool scientists is following in their footsteps—and Copycat Science provides fun, simple experiments that allow you to do just that!
Presented in comic-book format, Copycat Science pairs brief descriptions of the life and work of more than 30 scientists from different eras and disciplines with experiments that allow readers to test out their concepts, theories, principles, and ideas for themselves. The profiles and accompanying experiments are organized by discipline, with a detailed table of contents to help readers quickly and easily locate areas of interest. Simple step-by-step instructions and clear materials lists make the experiments accessible — even to young scientists working at home.
The comic-book format provides a non-linear approach to the material that pairs well with the book’s emphasis on exploration and discovery, and the full-color illustrations offer both humor and a way to visualize the sometimes complex or abstract scientific concepts.
Whether in the classroom or at home, Copycat Science is one STEM book that is sure to provide hours of happy discovery.
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About the Author
Mike Barfield is a writer, poet, performer, songwriter, ukulele player, and cartoonist. He has written extensively for TV and radio, with credits as diverse as Spitting Image, The Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Show, and five years on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. His cartoon feature Apparently has appeared in the pages of Private Eye for over 20 years, and his drawings have been on display in the Cartoon Museum, the V & A, the Museum of London, and Nigella Lawson’s downstairs loo.
His Destroy This Book series (published by Buster Books) has been sold around the world, starting with the Destroy This Book In The Name of Science! The Element in the Room (Lawrence King, 2018), which was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2019.
