Always fun to see a diverse classroom and a STEM themed picture book! Great illustrations and a sweet story about more (and less) competitive kids in a class. Every child brings unique traits and strengths. The challenge from the teacher will capture the imagination of lots of readers - what would you show that starts small but gets big? Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for the eARC!

Perfect for preschool through 2nd grade storytime.

A class is participating in a science competition where they present their idea of something small that can become something big.

Our main character wants to grow up to be a chemist. Although unorganized and forgetful, he takes science and his processes very seriously. But the other children present a series of very clever answers to the posed question as well, highlighting that there is no one right way to be a scientist.

Each of the children have a lot of personality and quirks, which would lend itself well to becoming a series.

The illustrations are great and there is a lot of representation among the students (wheelchair, hearing device, ethnicities, weight differences, glasses, …).

For a read aloud, the events and locations are a bit tongue twistery, so prepare for that, but overall a very cute message.

Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press for the advanced copy.

Mo is determined to win his school's science contest because he is determined to become a scientist when he grows up. He is sure no one else is competition for him, especially his classmate Muriel. However, he soon realizes that Muriel's creativity can help him be a better scientist.

I thought this was a cute read! It was quick and easy, plus it had a great message.

What an excellent STEAM book showing that there are many ways to be a scientist. It’s science fair time and Mo has an idea along with the rest of the class. So many creative ideas are shown. When it comes time for Mo to show the class his project, something’s missing. What does he do now?
A must have book for the classroom.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is such a fun story about two absolutely delightful characters: Mo, the forgetful but serious chemist, and his friend Muriel, a creative, free-spirited cat lover. I really love when stories use descriptive language that most people tend to shy away from using in children's media and when talking to kids in general. This book is an excellent example of how talking to kids without limiting your vocabulary will only expand theirs—not confuse them. There's also a wealth of discussion questions and information included at the end. I'm going to be recommending this to many library patrons. Brilliant!