Albert Einstein said hardly a word when
he was a very little boy. One day when his father showed him a compass, Albert
was mesmerized. “Suddenly he knew there were mysteries in the world – hidden
and silent, unknown and unseen.” When riding his bicycle he observed rays of
sunlight coming toward him and wondered what it would be like actually to
travel on that beam of light. He gained a reputation at school for being
different; he didn’t talk very much and he thought in different ways from most
children. These experiences marked the beginnings of Einstein’s relentless
curiosity and mind-bending journey as a scientist – indeed, a true genius – who
would transform our way of understanding the universe. On a Beam of Light: A
Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne does a remarkable job of
introducing Einstein’s way of thinking to young readers, and Vladimir
Radunsky’s spare, textured watercolors bring light, energy, numbers, atoms and
Einstein’s mind and persona into focus. Einstein asked new questions and found
new answers, continuing to dream and write throughout his life. Berne reminds
readers that many big questions still remain for scientists now, questions that
might be answered by today’s young readers. Endnotes mention the way of
imagining events in time and space that Einstein called his “thought
experiments” as well as his views as a pacifist involved in harnessing atomic
power. Readers can explore further resources to learn about Einstein’s decision
to leave Germany in 1933, becoming an American citizen, and his work to ensure
that other German Jewish scientists would gain safety outside of Germany. Ages
6-9.
