Pirate, Viking & Scientist

K-Gr 2—In this quirky story, young Scientist is friends with Viking and Pirate, but the latter two absolutely do not get along. Tensions run high at Scientist's birthday party, so he turns to science to try to bring his buddies together. He forms a hypothesis, conducts an experiment, studies his results, and adjusts his calculations. After reflecting on his work, Scientist ultimately unites Viking and Pirate around their shared interests: boats, swords, pillaging, and plundering. Scientist's final experiment is a success, and all three characters become friends. The accessible text, silly premise, and simple yet accurate incorporation of scientific principles make this a unique gem for elementary collections. Onomatopoeia features prominently in action sequences that invite inferences, and the ink and digitally colored illustrations employ a fun and funky use of color. The graph-paper background and Venn diagram on title page are delightful references to the scientific theme. This is a great read-aloud to foster discussions around the scientific process and important lessons about friendship. An excellent addition.—Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY