Galileo's Leaning Tower Experiment

Author(s): 
Wendy Macdonald
Illustrator(s): 
Paolo Rui
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
2009
ISBN: 
9781570918698
Publisher: 
Charlesbridge
Binding: 
Glued Hardcover
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

Science readers are to be found if you look around enough as this book demonstrates.  It is the fictional story of Massimo, a boy who regularly throws his uncle's lunch off a bridge to his boat as his uncle rows by below.  Galileo happens to see that the bread and the cheese land at the same time.  The story ends atop the leaning Tower of Pisa, as legend suggests Galileo did.

The illustrations are a little disappointing, the people in particular. The story is sometimes forced as math and science readers often are; however, overall it is a great tale that teaches a basic principle of physics sure to have your children dropping objects from heights.  It even alludes to Galileo's ramp experiments on acceleration.  The last page briefly fills in the reader on the period in history, what in the story is fact and fiction, and the formula for calculating speed.

Overall this is a great introductory physics science book.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
07/17/2010