Let’s Ride a Wave! Diving into the Science of Light and Sound Waves with Physics

Let’s Ride a Wave! Diving into the Science of Light and Sound Waves with Physics is part of the “Everyday Science Academy” series in which Dr. Chris (Ferrie) answers science questions from the young Red Kangaroo. In this case, she wonders about waves after seeing them on the beach and is excited to find out about lots of other kinds of waves and what they can be used for. As with other books in the series, Ferrie takes complex and sophisticated science topics and presents them in a simple way for a young audience and for the adults reading the book to their children. He has a way of presenting any science topic clearly at an appropriate level for the reader.

Red Kangaroo starts by seeing waves on the beach and wondering if waves ever stop. She goes to ask Dr. Chris who seems to believe in giving complete answers to any question, and he does here too. He scientifically defines waves and then introduces the electromagnetic spectrum, x-rays, light and sound waves. At the back of the book is a glossary, a quiz with answers and some experiments. Adventurous kids can really try out the concepts and see what happens.

Chris Ferrie, a physicist and mathematician working in engineering, is qualified to present information about waves. He truly seems to like to present science to children and has a talent for clarity. In some ways, all of his books can be seen as an attempt to fill in a huge gap in children’s books, that of science such as physics and engineering. And there really is a need for science at an introductory level. The earlier kids are introduced to these concepts, the more normal they seem a natural part of life and something to be curious about. Getting appropriate answers is even better.

The illustrations, also by Chris Ferrie, are simple large areas of soft colours that contrast and bring out the elementary shapes used to demonstrate the ideas and tools throughout the text. In some cases, the pictures are the only direct evidence of what is alluded to in the text, such as the pan of water, flashlight and phone used to show that lots of things make waves. The scientific pictures are uncomplicated and illustrate the concepts well.

Let’s Ride a Wave! improves on Ferrie’s earlier book Let’s Fly a Plane! ( www.cmreviews.ca/node/1649 ) in that Red Kangaroo seems much more interactive, asking more questions that are then answered rather than Dr. Chris responding to a single question with far too much detail.