David Dyer

Reviews

What The Grown Ups (And Little Ones) Are Saying

No fancy words. Just real talk from families who fell in love with Charlie.

My son is five, and he doesn't sit still for long. But this book had him pointing at every single page. The pictures are so full of life. You see the volcano goop dripping off the table. You see Charlie's funny face when his rocket flops. We spent almost as much time looking at the drawings as reading the words. That never happens.

— Sarah M. mom of two

I loved that Charlie didn't get it right. His rocket fails. His wind vane breaks. But he just says 'scientists try again' and keeps going. My daughter is the kind of kid who gets upset when things don't work. Reading about Charlie's flops made her laugh and feel better about her own mistakes. That's a big deal for us.

— Tom R dad

Okay, the part where the volcano explodes all over the kitchen and Charlie yells, 'It's science, Mom!' had me laughing out loud. My kids made me read that page three times. The book doesn't take itself too seriously. It knows kids love messes and silly sounds like sploosh and splat. That's exactly what keeps them hooked.

— Jessica L aunt and teacher

My favorite part was Charlie and Maya working together. They don't fight or argue. They just built their weather station and help each other when things go wrong. And when the water spills at the fair, Charlie doesn't blame anyone. He just fixes it. My son said, 'That's a good friend,' and I think that says everything.

— David K dad of a first grader

Grandpa Joe is such a sweet character. He doesn't lecture Charlie. He just watches from his chair and says little things like 'that's the spirit' and 'science begins with curiosity.' My own dad used to do that with me. It made me tear up a bit. Grandparents will love reading this with their grandkids.

— Maria F grandmother

The line where Charlie whispers, 'I don't just want to be a scientist. I am one.' really stuck with me. My kid has been saying he wants to be a scientist when he grows up. This book helped him see that he already asks questions and tries experiments every day. He doesn't have to wait. That's a powerful little moment.

— Priya N mom and preschool teacher

I like that the story doesn't wrap everything up in a perfect bow. Charlie wins the science fair, but then the next morning, he looks at clouds and asks another question. My daughter said, 'he never stops, does he?' and I said, 'Nope, that's the point.' It leaves you feeling like the adventure just keeps going. Very sweet.

— Brian T dad of a seven-year-old