Picture Book That Encourages Engineering

For picture book Wednesday I have a fun one.  This book is wonderful to look at and the messages of ingenuity and perseverance are perfect.  Add to that a focus on engineering for girls and this book hits all the right notes.

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Title:       Rosie Revere, Engineer

Author:   Andrea Beaty

Target:    Preschool - Grade 3

What this book is about: 
Rosie Revere dreams about being an engineer, and pursues all sorts of inventions.  But after she fails with a cheese hat that keeps the pythons away, she looses her nerve.  When her aunty comes to visit and shares her desire to fly, Rosie’s creative juices get flowing again and she can’t help but try to make something to help her aunt.  When this invention also fails, she decides to stop, until her aunt reminds her that failures are only the beginning of great inventions!

Why I love this book: 
First off the illustrations are fabulous.  The graph paper on the end pages, the knick knacks galore and the sheer number of treasures used in each creation are brilliant.  Top these off with stylized drawings of the adults and kids in the book and you have a visual stunner.

I also enjoyed the text in verse.  The book reads aloud quite well and the cadence is spot on.

Finally, the message, especially as we are encouraging our kids to engage with STEM, is perfect.  Not only does the book celebrate ingenuity and inventiveness, but it also shows kids that failure is an option, and one that can be celebrated on the road to discovery.  Of course encouraging girls to engage in engineering is also a lovely touch.

Who this book is for: 
Fun for all kids.  Can’t imagine a kid not liking this one.

Final thoughts: 
I think the hot dog dispenser and helium pants are probably my favorite Rosie inventions.

To purchase this book:
Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Rosie Revere, Engineer  A portion of each purchase will go to support this blog at no cost to you.