Light Is All Around Us

This addition to the Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out Science series explores light—what it is, how it moves, how humans measure it, and how it allows us to see. In plainspoken prose, Pfeffer breaks down complex ideas to make them readily comprehensible (“You see a cat because light waves reflect off the cat to your eyes”), while introducing terms like electromagnetic radiation, lumens, and octillion—as in the 35 octillion lumens the sun puts out. Meisel’s active cartoon scenes contribute to the book’s accessibility and pull in some surprising parallels (a giant glowing octopus appears beside trick-or-treaters carrying glow sticks, both examples of artificial light). It’s a smart introduction to the topic, and a handful of concluding experiments encourage further investigation. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)