Lyons, Kelly Starling. Lab Magic. Nina Mata, Illus. Easy Reader. Ty’s Travels Series; bk. 4. HarperCollins, 01/2022. 32pp. $16.99. 978-0-06-295117-5, PB $4.99. 978-0-06-295116-8. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES PRE-1.
Mom takes Ty and his older brother Corey to the science museum, but Ty is too young to participate in the lab activities. The family enjoys hunting for fossils, visiting the butterfly sanctuary, and doing other activities. But at home, Ty’s parents set up experiments they can do in the kitchen: making Gak and bubbles. The text is fairly easy to read, and displayed using a large, bold typeface. The full-color artwork on white backgrounds, likely done using deep watercolors and a cartoon style, depict the family as Black, adding more diversity to the beginning reader collection. Readers may be inspired to seek out experiment books with instructions for replicating the activities at home, or may want to visit a local science museum.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool