On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

by Jennifer Berne

Other authorsVladimir Radunsky (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 2013

Status

Available

Local notes

921 Ein

Barcode

5493

Collection

Publication

Chronicle Books (2013), 56 pages

Description

Biography & Autobiography. Juvenile Nonfiction. Science. HTML: A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life..… (more)

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

56 p.; 10 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member johnstod
This would be a wonderful introduction to the very complex Albert Einstein. I liked that it shared the importance of thinking about light and his understanding of the universe.
LibraryThing member MissMurray2014
I enjoyed reading this book about Albert Einstein. I read an article similar to this book with my fourth and fifth grade students this year and taught them how to use the QAR strategy. I could see incorporating this into many different science lessons. We also did a wax museum research project this
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year where students got to choose an important figure from history, created a project about the person's life and then physically portrayed the character. One of my students chose to be Albert Einstein this year and this would have been a helpful book for her research.
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LibraryThing member khanai
This is a great informational/nonfiction book to read to elementary school students. It gives awesome information about Albert Einstein that I believe students would enjoy. I had a good time reading and gaineda lot of knowledge from this book. They give you some good facts that you may not know so
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you learn some good things.
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LibraryThing member emtimmins
This book conveys how the imagination and creativity of Einstein must have FELT! It is a great jumping off point for learning more about Einstein!
LibraryThing member ramber1
This was a great biography on Albert Einstein. The illustrations were very unique and almost had a child like drawing quality to them that I felt added to the book. The illustrations, even though childlike, really went along with the book and the feel of the story. The text was interesting too in
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that some of the more important sentences on the page were in bold, red text while the other text was just in black. I think that this made it easier for younger children to be able to get the main ideas on that page even when their was more text them they are used to. Even though this was a biography, I felt that it had a really good message for children that they should constantly question their surroundings and never stop wondering and really made it seem possible for them to be successful and reach their dreams and most importantly be themselves no matter what any one else said. The last page really sums up this book and the big ideas that it was hoping to foster. It says "Questions that someday YOU may answer... by wondering, thinking, and imagining."
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This book is so beautifully designed and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky that it is impossible not to be drawn into the story. But the author does an excellent job with the text as well. Einstein is depicted as curious, charmingly eccentric, and always deep in thought, “sometimes eating an
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ice-cream cone.”

When Einstein was little, he imagined racing through space on a beam of light. What would happen if he did that? He began to read and study. He continued to wonder about everything even as an adult:

"Albert watched a lump of sugar dissolve and disappear into his hot tea. How could this happen? He watched the smoke from his pipe swirl and disappear into the air. How could one thing disappear into another?"

He thought about very big things, like the size of the universe, and very small things, like what goes on inside the tiniest particles.

Some of his ideas about how things worked are presented in a simple way, but mostly there are just indications of the importance of his thinking:

"Albert’s ideas helped build spaceships and satellites that travel to the moon and beyond. His thinking helped us understand our universe as no one ever had before.”

Best of all, the book asserts that “Albert left us many big questions....Questions that someday YOU may answer...by wondering, thinking, and imagining.”

Illustrator Radunsky is a treasure. His pen and ink images on textured paper defy space and gravity, pay homage to evolution, and show how the medium can be meta, as with his use of pointillism on the pages devoted to Einstein’s meditations on atoms, and his playful expression of perspective: it's all relative! The cleverness and whimsy of the pictures is a perfect fit for the story of Einstein.

End notes include a list of additional resources.

Evaluation: I have looked at the pictures over and over in this book. Chronicle Books, which specializes in works of art and design, has done an excellent job in putting together this book. It will encourage young children to see not only the possibilities of imagination, but will also give them an appreciation for the beauty and delight of artistic rendition.

Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member jessotto
I have always been intrigued by Albert Einstein. Solely my the depth and significance of his thinking. I am really happy to have found this book. What a great way to introduce him to young students. The illustrations were not what I expected, they brought the story down to a childs perspective. The
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illustrations were not at all stiff or regimented like I would imagine a biography to be but fun and childish. The text features were fantastic in this as well! Important words were in bold or had different colors. This book made a biography fun and full of wonder, it encouraged children to think and explore, to question and to wonder. Which is exactly what children should be doing, in my opinion. I will be buying this book to add to my collection, without a doubt!
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LibraryThing member breksarah
I really liked this book. It would be great to use for both science and history. It introduces the young Albert Einstein and gives insight to his thinking, creativity, and ideas. I think students would be able to relate to his young imagination.

I would use this book for first through fourth grade
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students.
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LibraryThing member Jdwalker
On A Beam of Light tells the story of the life of Albert Einstein. The story starts out when he was first born. His parents even at that time knew there was something different about him. Albert didn't talk for many years and was always very curious about the world around him. As he grew older his
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curiosity about how the world works grew and grew. Albert began to read and study about light, sound, heat, magnetism, and gravity. This lead to him creating his own scientific theories. I how the focus of the book is on how Albert never stopped asking questions. Even when people looked at him differently or were annoyed with him, he still asked questions. The book also focuses on Einstein's unique qualities such as the way he wore his hair, his dress and how he would wander around the town he lived in deep in thought sometimes eating an ice cream cone. This is a great book for exposing children to the life of Albert Einstein. I'm sure many kids can relate to his curiosities and his need to find out why and how. It also reminds the reader to see everyone talents even when they might be different from the crowd. Very well written and informative book. The illustrations are simple and enhance the story nicely. I would definitely add this to my classroom book shelf.
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LibraryThing member noah23
Fun illustrations accompany this enjoyable and educational book about Albert Einstein. Children will learn some history, as well as some inspiration to become their own creative thinkers.
LibraryThing member azlanshae
I loved the illustrations in this book and the message it send to children. The illustrator creates whimsical pictures by filling in sketched outlines with bright watercolor. The story is about a young boy who’s wondering, thinking, imagining, and questioning leads to incredible discoveries.
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Albert was just like any other kid who questioned how things worked, but he took it a step further.
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LibraryThing member cynalibo
I love that this book humanizes Albert Einstein! It presents him as a person who is ordinary, but curious.
LibraryThing member alexanderkai
This story depicts Albert Einstein is very easy and understanding way for children. It show Einstein as struggling child learner and his adult corkiness even as highly respected Scientist.
LibraryThing member InstantLaila
I believe the back cover sums this story up quite perfectly "The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." I love the way this story simply tells the story of Albert Einstein. I believe it will encourage curiosity in children to pursue their own
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interests, just as he had!
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LibraryThing member EliseMT
This book is beautifully illustrated and tells the life story of Albert Einstein in a way that may resonate well with young children. The illustrations are simple, stunning, and appear to have been draw and painted on rice paper. Curiosity is a major theme throughout, as the narrative focuses on
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Einstein's curious nature and the remarkable achievements that resulted from it. It also includes descriptions of some of Einstein's quirks, which adds a touch of humor and helps draw young readers into his story.
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LibraryThing member crieder95
On a Beam of Light follows the ordinary days in the life of genius Albert Einstein. I thinks this was an enjoyable biographical read for young children. It was interesting, funny, and informational all wrapped up in one. The book was from Albert's birth to his death and followed all his questions
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and findings through life. While following Albert through his life the book shows how just little, everyday things captures his attention. The beams of the sun, the way a compass points north, the smoke from his pipe disappearing, and his lump of sugar dissolving into his tea. This makes students aware of the happenings that go on around them and that there is more to everything than meets the eye. Throughout life Albert asked thoughts of questions that made him curious about science and how things work. Many times students are hushed or dismissed for asking questions. I think Albert's life is an encouragement for students to ask questions, especially about things that interests them to find answers.
To to it off in the back with the author's note is some of Albert's scientific findings and more about him. This is where this book could easily be integrated into a science lesson or introduction. It becomes more than just a fun book about Albert Einstein and becomes a lesson and gives students a greater background on him and his findings.
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LibraryThing member moaks1
There are three reasons I like this book. First, the illustrations were not very detailed and looked more like sketches, which made me focus on the words. For example, when Albert is day dreaming and thinking about the world there are loosely drawn pictures of various moving objects. Second, some
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of the writing in the book is in red, large font than most of the black words which catches my eyes and highlights Albert’s interests and ideas. For example, Albert was watching sugar dissolve in tea and watching smoke come out of his pipe, and started to ask himself questions (in red, large font) about how one thing could disappear into another. Third, the plot was well paced and organized. Throughout the book, the reader learned what Albert was like as a child, quiet and different, and what he did, wondered and studied- mathematics, gravity, magnetism, light, sound, and heat, as he grew up to become an adult. The message of this book is to be curious about the world and always ask questions because it may lead you to your dream.
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LibraryThing member kbartholomew1
On A Beam of Light follows the life of the genius Albert Einstein. The book follows Einstein from his birth until his death, throughout his life, Albert asks many questions. Albert's asking questions has lead to many findings, a lot of which has changed the world. The pictures by Vladimir Radunsky
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were fun, whimsical, and made the book more enjoyable. However, I would not share this book with my class. The story was long and at many points, slow. I would have the book in class for students who are interested in science or Einstein, but it is not a book that I would share with the class as a whole.
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LibraryThing member TessaB28
This book tells of the life of Albert Einstein starting from a child. By doing this it entices the children and makes them relate to Albert. He had an imagination and educated himself and became someone. This make the children believe they can become someone too! It also is much better to learn
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about Albert this way rather than just stating facts. I think teachers would love to use this book for a science theme to learn about Albert Einstein. The kids will view him as someone just like them, instead of some legend in history. Even the artwork looks like a child could have drawn it. Everything is kid friendly, and although there are a lot of words, children will enjoy it when being read it by an adult. The pictures while fun, also work well to be subtle and neutral as to not distract from the information being told.
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LibraryThing member emills4
Interestingly written picture book about the biography of Albert Einstein. The story begins with a boy riding a bike down the road and wondering if he could go at a speed faster than the speed of light. This ultimately leads to Albert Einstein's development of the speed of light. There are many
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other scenes where the young Albert shows how he will ultimately become the most influential and famous scientist in history. It was a good book as far as learning and education but it was not a very interesting book in regards to the illustrations.
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LibraryThing member bstove1
I think this is a good children's book. I like this book for the illustrations and the message of the story. I like that the illustrations are simple pencil like drawings. Although they are simple, I think that they express the story well and show emotions of the characters. I also like the meaning
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of the story. Through Albert Einstein's story, the reader learns to never give up and to always keep trying because eventually it will pay off. This is a great lesson for all children to learn and aspire to live by.
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LibraryThing member Davis22
My classes love to be read this book because Einstein is almost a folktale in himself to them. The illustrations are surreal and fun, while the narrative of Einsteins life is told in such a way that children really begin to sense that they, too, could strive to become scientists if they really
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wanted to. It also does a good job of beginning to explain relativity in a way that is not completely confounding to young people.
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LibraryThing member APatricia
Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky in goache, pen and ink.
LibraryThing member aehunter
A biography on Albert Einstein. This book chronicles Einstein from early childhood to his death. From this book children can learn all of Einstein's discoveries in sciences, as well as the obstacles he faced in life. This book is good for children because it not only teaches them of an important
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person in science but also how they can overcome obstacles to become great.

Teaching Ideas: do an atom art project
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LibraryThing member Sullywriter
Reading this book reminded me of an early Apple computer poster campaign that featured pictures of famous people like Gandhi and John Lennon with the simple caption, "Think Different." Einstein was also featured on a poster. In this delightful picture book biography, Berne's text and Radunsky's
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illustrations perfectly capture Einstein's intense fascination with and curiosity about world, and his humor and passion for life.
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Pages

56

Rating

(128 ratings; 4.4)
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