Newton’s laws of gravity and motion are at the center of this rhyming picture book that brings physics to a young audience in a lively story about a boy playing with his dog. The bright, unframed double-page spreads show the boy throwing a ball (“No matter how hard I throw the ball up / It would always come down to me and my pup”), pushing a truck (on a flat surface and then speeding downhill), pulling a wagon(first empty, then piled with rocks), and pedaling a bike (uphill, then downhill, into the wind, against the wind). The clear back matter offers more about Newton and includes study questions for kids to discuss with adults about how Newton’s discoveries relate to everyday life. The story’s lessons, drawn from simple, obvious facts (“Something won’t move unless a force makes it move”), give science the excitement of magic.
Mayer and Rogers use cheery couplets and artwork to explore the laws of physics via a boy’s activities with his dog, Newton. “No matter how hard I would throw the ball up,/ it would always come down to me and my pup.” The boy observes that his wagon is easier to pull when empty, that it’s easier to bike with the wind at his back than against it, and that “playing with Newton gave me the notion/ that pushing and pulling are forces of motion.” Educational materialsat the end help make the concepts more concrete. Ages 4–8.
There's nothing as rare as a great book on physical science for primary students. In this book, a young boy and his dog (Newton )explore the laws of motion in everyday activities like rolling a ball, riding a bicycle, and pulling a wagon. There is not only accurate physical science (basic mechanics) in this book but many authentic examples that can be used in the primary classroom.
From the tiny details (like the boy's address—the same as Newton's!) to the big ideas, this NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2011 illustrates the best in informational science text. It can be used for individual reading, integrated with kinesthetic experiences, or used as a model for a student book or photo display that shows the principles of force and motion.
I liked this story because it is fun and teaches children about the forces of motion in everyday things. I highly recommend Newton and Me because you can reuse this story for any child from 4 to 8. If you buy this book you can use it for your child and then someday they may use it for their child and so on. This story is an exciting way to show the laws of force and motion, and how you can find the laws in everyday things.
Newton and Me, by Lynne Mayer, has captivated the hearts of both my 4 and 2 year old and has been requested several times a day! With bright and colorful illustrations that include a boy and his dog, Newton, it has a great start. It gets even better as it explores the laws of force and motion in everyday activities like dropping a ball, pulling a wagon (empty and full), and the wind blowing. Though the book's focus is on a serious science topic, even a toddler can understand pushing and pulling! With all of the teaching activities available, you can decide what is best for your child or student!
Arbordale Publishing educates children in science and math through the means of literature. They're doing a fantastic job, too, offering informative, educational books with realistic and beautiful illustrations. The books alone are really great, but they help classroom teachers and homeschooling parents in huge ways. Each book (and ebook) comes with great resources. The books and activities are targeted for children 4-8 (and 9) years of age.
These titles, and all of the Arbordale titles I have read have been fabulous and I highly recommend them! Thank you, Arbordale, for providing us these fabulous books for review purposes.
- Annette Whipple
Lynne Mayer of Hampshire, a part-time instructor of computer science at Elgin Community College, also is teaching children about the science of physics through her new book, “Newton and Me.”
“My particular interest is in creating books that are educational in nature,” Mayer said. “Education has always been important to me. I possess a love of learning and would like to share that love with children by stimulating their curiosity about the world we live in.”
According to Mayer, her book is about a young boy at play with his dog, Newton, and how he discovers the laws of motion in his everyday activities. Told in rhyme and illustrated by artist Sherry Rogers, the book shows how physics applies to activities such as throwing a ball and riding a bike.
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist and theologian. Mayer gives examples of Newton’s theories through examples that children can understand, such as how a wagon filled with rocks is heavier than a wagon that is empty.
The book, which was released in March and published by Arbordale Publishing, has won the Tilliwig Brain Child Award and Learning Magazine’s 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for Children’s Books.
Mayer presented her book this year to kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Otter Creek, Hillcrest and Huff elementary schools in Elgin. She also has given presentations at Fox Meadow Elementary School in South Elgin and McCormick Place in Chicago.
Mayer lived in Elgin for 20 years and moved to Hampshire one year ago. She has been a teacher at Elgin Community College for the past 15 years.
She studied painting with her father, Chicago artist John Stribrny. Her haiku and drawings are featured in two of her earlier books: “Creatures of the Galapagos” and “Herman’s Galapagos Adventure.”
“I’ve been inspired to write these two books because of the unique environment and the animals that live there,” Mayer said.
In addition to traveling to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, Mayer stayed at a lodge in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo preserve in Peru. The wildlife there included monkeys, sloths, pink river dolphins, lizards and parrots.
“It’s expensive to get there,” Mayer admitted, “but being there is not expensive. I thought I would most enjoy seeing the animals, but the people there impacted me more. They work very hard and are smiling all the time. They have a sense of community that we lack. It made me look at our life and our society with a different viewpoint.”
The lodge where Mayer stayed included the Angels of the Amazon health clinic.
“The clinic only has one doctor and two overnight rooms,” Mayer said. “Injured or sick people traveled for miles in dugout canoes in order to reach the clinic.”
Mayer said that she would like to write a children’s book about the Amazon. She may also write a follow-up to the “Newton and Me” book that would teach children about machines such as pulleys and levers.
- Denise Moran
A book about Newton's Laws of Motion, at a level that an almost three year old (and of course, older kids too) can understand and enjoy? It's true!
A little boy and his pet puppy Newton learn all about forces of motion during their everyday play. Rather than writing a traditional review, I thought I'd share some excerpts alongside photos of how we chose to demonstrate the principles in the book.
Thank you to Arbordale for the opportunity to review Newton and Me, which I honestly loved. And thank you for forgiving me my copious excerpting; it was too cute not to share. I am linking this post up with Science Sunday, Learning Laboratory, and We Play.
- Lynn
Newton and Me, by Lynne Mayer, is a short story about a boy and his dog, Newton. The whole story is about what the boy and Newton do all day. Throughout the story, the boy is learning about the laws of force and motion that you can find in everyday activities. They apply physics to throwing a ball, pushing a toy truck, pulling a wagon, and more. Along with Sherry Rodgers’ illustrations, any child reading this story will know that maybe once or twice they’ve had the experience the boy and Newton had, and they’ll learn that the laws of force and motion are part of their world and how the laws affect things around them.
I was always a curious child and one of the things I wondered about most was the world: especially why a tree’s leaves moved when the wind blew on it, why it was so hard to go up hills, why something would fall when you pushed it, and so on. In shorter terms, I was wondering about the laws of force and motion.
Newton and Me shows exactly what a child is thinking: why this and why that? With this story, a child can understand why.
I liked this story because it is fun and teaches children about the forces of motion in everyday things. I highly recommend Newton and Me because you can reuse this story for any child from 4 to 8. If you buy this book you can use it for your child and then someday they may use it for their child and so on. This story is an exciting way to show the laws of force and motion, and how you can find the laws in everyday things.
- Natalie Brady
This entertainingly written, cleverly illustrated rhyming book gets young minds thinking about something that impacts every moment of our existence - the laws of physics, specifically, Newton's laws of motion. It sounds heady, but the author and illustrator keep it simple, natural, and fun by showing a day in the life of a young boy and his dog, Newton. Balls are pushed. A toy trucks rolls downhill. Try as he might, the boy can't push Dad's car (whose license plate reads m = Mass). Even without the wonderful observations regarding the workings of the world, this book would be a fun read, but its focus - examining the behavior of everyday objects under various conditions - brings it up to a whole different level. A special section after the story features fun facts, questions, and vocabulary to enhance the learning. Bravo!
A little boy and his dog, Newton, discover much about forces of motion in this story as the two spend the day together exploring. Through simple, everyday child-friendly activities , such as rolling a ball, pushing a toy truck, pulling a wagon, riding a bike, and playing tug-of-war, children will learn a great deal about motion and moving objects.
I've had the opportunity to review several different Arbordale titles in the year and a half my blog has been up and running. However, I don't think that until now, I've found a book that will be quite as useful and educational in my classroom! I feel very fortunate to be able to add this story to my collection. The curriculum used by my school has one preschool theme that's titled "Let's Move." This will be a wonderful addition to enhance my students' knowledge on movement and a unique way to incorporate science into the theme, as I can already envision my students having a great deal of fun exploring all of these different activities on their own!
Learning/Reading Activity:
I created an activity to go along with Newton and Me that is appropriate and can be used by my preschoolers. The activity has children exploring where objects move easier/quicker - on carpet or on the floor and then by pushing or pulling. This activity is 2-pages and can be downloaded here and here. Arbordale has also provided a Teaching Activities packet that can be downloaded here with many wonderful activities as well!
- Katie Harvey
Lynne Mayer’s story of a boy and his dog, Newton, playing and discovering the laws of force and motion will delight kids everywhere. Whether this duo is playing with a ball or solving a problem with a wagon full of rocks, they illustrate how Newton’s laws of motion affect the world we live in every day.
The whimsical illustrations by Sherry Rogers will fascinate young children as they find new details with each reading. The clever rhymes will help new readers to navigate easily through this informative story.
In the “Creative Minds” section at the back of the book Ms. Mayer recaps the laws in simple language, and asks the children some questions to reinforce and continue the learning process.
She continues to challenge kids by asking them to match up these laws with illustrations from the book. More facts about Sir Isaac Newton and his important contributions to math and physics are included here as well. As a teacher, I treasure Lynne Mayer’s book, Newton and Me, as a fun-filled, and useful tool for every classroom.
- Kathy Stemke
"Newton and Me" is a great story about a boy and his dog named Newton who discover the laws of physics (force and motion) in his everyday play activities. Narrated in verse, "Newton and Me" demonstrates all the major laws of force and motion in terms any kid will understand and relate to. Following up the story is a section titled For Creative Minds that includes a listing of the related concepts and questions in colored paragraph boxes. Further learning activities pages include Matching Forces, Who was Newton? and Newton's Laws of Motion. Bright, cheery clearly detailed illustrations flesh out the educational appeal of "Newton and Me" for children ages 4-8. Further resources are available in Related Websites, Interactive Math, Reading, and Comprehension Quizzes, and Teaching Activities on Arbordale Publishing's website, listed above.
Lynne Mayer introduces Sir Isaac Newton's Law of Motion to youngsters with a delightful story of a boy and his dog - 'Saturday morning I was asleep in my bed, / when Newton, my dog, dropped his ball on my head.'
A quick breakfast and out the door the two mates run. They play with the ball but find out that it doesn't roll as easily on grass as it does on the smooth-surfaced sidewalk. The boy realizes that it won't roll along without help, and too forceful a push lands the ball in the bush.
When the ball is thrown toward the sky, with a forceful throw or slow throw, it always comes back down. Other activities include running a test with a red toy truck, and the realization that it, too, stays motionless on a flat surface unless the boy gives it a push. But, oh boy, it really takes off when it goes down a hill!
The boy and dog attempt to help mom with her garden. When the wagon is pulled with stones in it, it is a mighty effort – 'When it was empty, it was easy to pull. / I just couldn't move it when it was full.' Dad helps by pushing the wagon while the boy pulls, and that makes a big difference. When it comes to riding his bike against the wind, it requires a lot more effort.
At the back of the book ,there are pages For Creative Minds, including Force and Motion questions, Matching Forces showing pushes and pulls, and information on Who was Newton? Lynne Mayer is an adjunct instructor at Elgin (Illinois) Community College. Illustrations by Sherry Rogers provide eye-catching happy scenes through the use of shading colors on the lively life-size subjects and surroundings.
Newton and Me is a fun story teaching Earth and Physical Science. Arbordale publishes educational stories in varied categories of learning and reading levels. From their website, you can connect to related websites to study a subject further. Happy reading, while having fun learning!
I always look forward to this great set of new books! Arbordale has sent me these five new titles that will really "beef up" your science and math curriculum. In case you don't know - Arbordale's website is just FULL of wonderful teaching activities, related websites, and "For Creative Minds" a wonderful educational section for each book.
Newton and Me by Lynne Mayer and illustrated by Sherry Rogers is a very fun book that will help kids explore Newton's Laws of Motion. I enjoyed this book - I mean really, how often can you find a fiction story on Newton's Laws of Motion!?!? This will be so great for our classrooms!
What's the Difference? An Endangered Animal Subtraction Story by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Joan Waites is my second title in this set. This is a sequel to What's New at the Zoo - and is way to practice subtraction skills while learning about endangered animals. I think this is also a brilliant idea and will be great in classrooms.
Little Red Bat by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Christina Wald is a rare find. It is a book on red bats - and how they can hibernate or migrate - great information and such wonderful illustrations that enhance this story.
Felina's New Home: A Florida Panther Story by Loran Wlodarski and illustrated by Lew Clayton is another new title. This title is focused around the forests shrinking and what the animals have to do to survive when they are losing their homes. I liked this title as well - very informative - something that we need to be aware of!
Panda's Earthquake Escape by Phyllis Perry and illustrated by Susan Detwiler is a fictional story that is based on a real-life event. This is about a panda from the Wolong Panda Reserve in China and when an earthquake rocked that area this little guy escaped. What an interesting story - and learning from a natural disaster - great idea!!
Thanks, Arbordale, for another set of wonderful books to use in our classrooms and homes - our library will be thrilled to share these with our community!
Newton and Me is a cute introduction to Newton's Laws of Motion for young elementary aged learners. Even our older girls paused to listen as I was paging through the book, while listening to the streaming read aloud file at the Arbordale website. Paused to listen, as I said, and stayed through the end of the book, exclaiming in delight over Newton the dog and his ever-present ball, as he went about with his young master. Together they notice the effects of pushes and pulls, friction and mass and gravity, all in the course of going about the business of work and play.
A four-page section at the end of the book includes a summary of concepts presented in the story, along with discussion questions and a brief blurb about Isaac Newton. The rhyming text goes well with the lively color illustrations, and as I mentioned, Newton the dog adds interest to the story.
Newton and Me is available in English and Spanish in hardcover, soft cover, and as an e-book subscription at the Arbordale website. There you can also find links to related websites, teaching activities, quizzes and more.
There is a wonderful series of books from Arbordale Publishing that mixes animal stories with science and math. The books have nice bright illustrations (some better than others), and include interesting facts, questions and tests for readers, even help for teachers who want to incorportate the books into lesson plans.And they recommend related Web sites.
The publisher says they are for ages 4 to 8, but I would put them a little older, say 6- to 10-year-olds. In addition to the print books, the titles are E-books.
Hard back books are $16.95 and soft covers are $8.95. They are available from the publisher as well as online. Check with local bookstores for their availability.
"Newton and Me" by Lynne Mayer, illustrated by Sherry Rogers. This story in rhyme follows a boy and his puppy, Newton, as they ponder the wonders of basic physics. (Guess who Newton is named after?)
I can't recommend these enough; they're all great. Also, check out some of the previous books in this series.
- Carol Bicak, Omaha World-Herald Book Reviwer
Rating: 5 stars (EXCELLENT)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
Can you guess why a young boy’s dog might be named Newton? Newton’s owner learns that a ball won’t roll very far in the rough, grassy yard but will roll much farther in a smooth, hard surface. But it won’t roll at all if you don’t give it a push. He also experiments with throwing a ball up in the air, letting his toy truck roll downhill, trying to push his dad’s car, trying to pull his wagon when it is full of rocks, riding his bicycle in a strong wind, and playing tug of war with Newton. What kinds of things did he learn along the way?
Sir Isaac Newton was a famous scientist and mathematician who discovered the law of gravity and the laws of motion. Physicists may study Newton’s laws of motion theoretically in college classes, but author Lynn Mayer’s rhyming text and illustrator Sherry Rogers’s eye-catching drawings demonstrate in terms that are age appropriate how these laws influence experiences that we have every day and affect objects all around us. The “For Creative Minds” educational section at the end has two pages explaining “Force and Motion” followed by a matching activity, along with further information about Isaac Newton and his laws of motion. Arbordale’s website contains even more teaching activities and interactive quizzes. Who would imagine that physics could be so much fun?
How do you introduce young children to some of the most basic laws of physics without overwhelming them? Author Lynne Mayer has found the perfect way – by incorporating force and motion principles into a sweet story of a boy and his dog.
Newton and Me opens with Newton the dog dropping his play ball on his young master’s head. Wake up, it’s time to play! Newton and the boy rush outside to do all sorts of things. They play with the ball, push a toy truck, then the boy rides his bike and helps his mom move some rocks with his wagon. With each activity, a rule of force and motion is presented:
Physics is such a big part of everyday life, and Newton and Me does an excellent job of introducing force and motion to pique young readers’ interest. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, particularly those of the very happy Newton. For parents, there are little physics related nuggets throughout, such as the dad reading the “Mechanics and Gravity” newspaper.
At the back of the book are several pages “For Creative Minds.” Two pages of simple experiments (such as “can you throw anything in the air without it coming back down?), an overview of Newton and matching forces pictures.
Quill says: Newton and Me gently presents the most basic of physics concepts to young readers in a fun and playful way.