(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rebecca Evans. Growing up in seventeenth-century Denmark, Ole Romer wondered why lightning appeared before thunder sounded. Later, as an astronomer in Paris, Romer's observations of Jupiter's moon (Io) led him to calculate the speed of light. Dense scientific information is lightened by comic-panel illustrations with speech-bubble jokes about ice cream, plumbing, and butts. Budding scientists will enjoy learning the slow process of scientific discovery. Timeline.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Katie Yamasaki. This picture book biography outlines the life of Japanese automaker Soichiro Honda, born in 1906. Honda repaired vehicles, designed and built motorcycles, and eventually built a car--the Honda Civic. Weston does a good job of explaining some of the mechanical details, focusing almost entirely on Honda's career. Yamasaki's acrylic paintings combine the potentially sterile pictures of machinery with inventive elements. Bib.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009