Stephen Hawking: My First Stephen Hawking (Little People, Big Dreams, #21)

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Matt Hunt (Illustrator)

This board book version of Stephen Hawking--from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series--introduces the youngest dreamers to the incredible life of this genius physicist and author.

When Stephen Hawking was a little boy, he used to stare up at the stars and wonder about the universe. Although he was never top of the class, his curiosity took him to the best universities in England: Oxford and Cambridge. It also led him to make one of the biggest scientific discoveries of the 20th century: Hawking radiation. Babies and toddlers will love to snuggle as you read to them the engaging story of this fascinating scientist, and will also enjoy exploring the stylish and quirky illustrations of this sturdy board book on their own.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

• ISBN13: 9780711245914
• Publish Date: 4 February 2020 (first published 7 February 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 11 November 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: White Lion Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 24
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

My First Stephen Hawking is a new biography for the very youngest readers in the Little People, Big Dreams series. I've reviewed a number of these titles and I'm always impressed and enchanted by how much detail they manage to include in these little books in an age-appropriate and accessible manner.

Released 4th Feb 2020 by Quarto on their Frances Lincoln Children's imprint, it's 24 pages and available in boardbook format.

Written by Isabel Sánchez Vegara it's well written in clear accessible language. I really loved the illustration (p. 4) of the whole family with Stephen and siblings reading at the dinner table and talking. The art by Matt Hunt is appealing and colorful and supports the text very well. The illustrations are rich in small subtle details which bear a closer look. I like that his neurological health issues were mentioned, but not dwelt on, and that they mentioned his relatively normal family life (he married, had 3 kids and a wife).

Well written and appealing, I am really enjoying all of these books. This one is a worthy addition. I received an electronic ARC for review purposes, so I can't speak to the robustness of the physical copy, but the others in the series are quite well made and will stand up to a fair bit of abuse. I imagine this one is no different.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on February fourth, 2020.

My toddler loves historical figures. His favorites are the U.S. Presidents (any of them: he has yet to decide his party), but he is interested in other figures as well. Not too long ago, I told him I had a secret to tell him. I whispered “I love you” and he whispered back, “Ibn Batutta.” I jumped at the chance to read this book about an important person with him.

I’ll start with the illustrations. They were adorable. They were simple, but brightly colored. My little guy liked pointing at them and saying “That’s Stephen Hawking” multiple times. They definitely held his interest.

The story itself was cute. It talked about Stephen Hawking in a way that would be easily grasped by youngsters. At times it seemed a little too simple: but it could just be because my toddler wants a wealth of information in his nonfiction books. He sometimes goes a little beyond the “normal” amount of information requested by that age group.

It was very difficult to find good nonfiction books when my oldest was a toddler, and I love that authors are changing that. Overall, my toddler liked it, and so did I. I’d buy this for any curious kid in the 2-5 year old range.