Baby Loves Quantum Physics!

Baby Loves Science

by Ruth Spiro, Irene Chan (Illustrator)

Big, brainy science for the littlest listeners.

Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book engages readers in a game of hide-and-seek with Schrodinger's famous feline. Can cat be awake and asleep at the same time? Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby's sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!

With tongue firmly in cheek, the Baby Loves Science series introduces highly intellectual science concepts to the littlest learners.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Animals, Nonfiction, Physics

20 pages, Board Book

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Ruth Spiro is the author of the Baby Loves Science series, published by Charlesbridge. These adorably illustrated board books contain expert-reviewed science, yet are simple enough for the very youngest readers. Another new picture book series, Made by Maxine, will be published by Dial in October, 2018.

Ruth is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences, and recent presentations include the Early Childhood STEM Conference at CalTech and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean... kids gotta know these deep questions! Is the cat asleep or awake in the box or both?

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kai likes this but it's not my favourite of the Baby Love Science series. It focuses on one theory in Quantum Physics, Schrodinger's Cat, and gives a very unbalanced idea of what quantum physics is all about. While I do understand that it is not possible to condense everything into one book, I think that the wrong subject was chosen in this case. It's cool as a book about a cat hiding in a box and I was asked to read it again and again. One star for leaving out the gruesome parts of the hypothetical experiment involving a cat trapped in a box, radio-decay and death by poisoning. One star for having a brown-skinned girl child. Minus three stars for not adequately expressing that quantum mechanics shows that the world is not what we see with our naked eyes and has revolutionised our thinking to the point where some things are still beyond comprehension.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the wild success of Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering at our house, we bought Baby Loves Quantum Physics because it features a cat. Basically, the book is a short riff on Schrödinger’s cat but with a sleeping cat. Of our three “Baby Loves” books, this is our daughter’s second favorite, and she often joins in going “shhh” for the sleeping cat on the pages. But I like it best because it does not dilly-dally around like the other two books and sticks to the meat of the theory.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: Baby loves Cat! Meow! Sometimes Cat likes to hide. Where is Cat now? Baby wants to find him! Is Cat here? Or here? Cat is in the box!

Premise/plot: Baby has found Cat. Cat is in the box! Will Cat be awake? Will Cat be asleep? In this simple board book, Spiro explains quantum physics in one little sentence: "In quantum physics, until Baby looks in the box, Cat is both asleep and awake."

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I do love cats. I love cats more than science honestly, but a good science documentary usually holds my attention. (I've found that so long as I'm not ever tested on what makes me curious, my curiosity has no limits.) Parents may or may not be familiar with Schrodinger's cat, but either way this one is an enjoyable story.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing--and I'm not even a baby!

[Elizabeth]

A friend of mine asked "Anyone have any recommendations on a beginners book about quantum theory?" and someone suggested Quantum Physics for Babies and in looking it up on GoodReads I learned that the "Baby Loves Science" series now included Baby Loves Quantum Physics!

I don't know what I was expecting out of this, but it felt weird to me that the narrative was a long build up to a kid-friendly version of Schrödinger's cat. [Note: I'm aware that Schrödinger developed the thought experiment to point out the absurdity of the idea that the cat could be both dead and alive at the same time, but there are a variety of theories, so Spiro isn't exactly wrong to say that, "In quantum physics, until Baby looks in the box, Cat is both asleep and awake," except that it's a bit reductionist given that there are a variety of theories -- if I'm understanding my skim of the Wikipedia entry correctly.]

I guess partly it's a question of what the point of these books is. My impression from Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering! and Baby Loves Quarks! was that it was to expose young children to science concepts, to normalize it as part of their vocabulary and sense of the world (possibly especially for girl children -- the Babies aren't gendered in the previous 2 books, but this Baby does get a "she" pronoun near the end of this book -- so that they grow up thinking that science is totally something they can engage with, rather than something that is Not For Them). But because no actual science terminology (or even ideas, really) enters this story until the end, this one felt to me more like just trying to explain a scientific idea that has entered the colloquial lexicon to a child, which felt sort of "why bother?" to me.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are cute, especially the baby and the kitty, but I've read better science books for toddlers than this. This book is about the Schrodinger's cat theory that we don't know what the cat will be inside the box until we open the box and find out.

SUMMARY AHEAD/SPOILERS:

In this book the baby is looking for the cat and the cat is in the box. The book asks is the cat asleep or awake? Kind of like how Schrodinger asked is the cat alive or dead, we don't know until we open the box. The baby opens the box and the cat jumps out so the cat is awake.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Used this one for Baby Storytime today. The parents thought it was awesome that I did something educational (many had never heard of the series...), and the littles liked the cat. Personally, however, I found this to be a very weak addition to the series. Then again, I'm not a physicist. Still, it was a fun book for storytime. I'll give it that.

[VBergen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I use these books with my baby to learn new words, and with my older daughter to learn concepts.
"Mom, this doesn't teach anything", said my 9 years old daughter disappointed after watching the book. I saw it, and this book is not as good as Baby Loves Structural Engineering! . This one only grasps a little of Schrödinger's cat and that's about it. It is going to be useful with baby to learn words as "cat", "box", and colors, but not to learn a concept when he will be older.
The illustrations and colors are beautiful as in all the books of this collection. The cardboard is nice and shiny.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all things Science and, if I have children, I would definitely pass it down. Ruth Spiro's Baby Loves Quantum Physics! is going to make that job easier. Spiro, along Irene Chan's beautiful illustrations delightfully explains one of the most famous thought paradoxes of Quantum Mechanics: Schrodinger's Cat.

With a very G rating, the poison is taken completely out of the equation. Instead, there is a cat in a box who is both awake and asleep until the youngster in the book looks into the box to know for sure.

This was on a display in my local bookstore and I am so glad I stumbled upon it!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiro, Ruth Quantum Physics (Baby Loves), illustrated by Irene Chan. BOARD BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2016. $9.

Spiro take Schroedinger’s cat and make it a little kinder to help little ones understand about quantum physics. While the book doesn’t really explain why this is physics, it does a fine job at explaining this particular conundrum. A great niche book for a science lover of any size – and a good gift for a science teacher on any level.

Pre-K, EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Ramona Cantaragiu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea what age this is intended to be for, but I have a suspicion that since it is a picture book it is addressed to kids of 3-5 and I think that at this age they are incapable of understanding what it means that the cat sleeps or is awake. Also this is a book which overlooks many other interesting things about quantum physics. I do understand parents' desire to teach their kids from a young age about science but sometimes you have to be patient.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this board book! Quantum Physics for a baby and let's face it adults. Spiro covers the thought illustration or paradox of Schroder's cat. The cat Spiro uses in the story is either sleeping or awake, so very kid friendly. I've been waiting for this book since seeing it in a catalog for librarians this spring!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series! It is adorable, age appropriate, and actually teaches children these concepts. I tested it out on my littlest, who is 5, and although he is a bit old for board books, he loved the cute art and he asked great questions. This one has a kid-friendly version of Schrodinger’s cat, and my son asked, “So in the box, it’s both day and night, and both awake and asleep, until I look? Cool!”

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I figured out this was about Schrodinger's cat, I started to panic. Never fear - kitty is only (maybe) sleeping! Or (maybe) awake! You have to open the box to find out!
Way to make a very complicated concept easily graspable for kids!

Will definitely be buying this series for my little one!

[Maria Andreina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loves this book. She has a lot of fun turning the pages, while saying and pointing at both the baby and the cat. The quality is quite good and the illustrations are beautiful. The quantum physics bit is mostly to amuse the grownups, but perhaps she’ll ask questions when she’s older. I plan to buy more books from this series.

[Shoshanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby Loves Quantum Physics has been a favorite for a year or so. Although we normally just call it Cat. It’s actually a pretty spot on explanation of Schrödinger’s cat and yet still easy to follow. Plus he loves looking for the cat. And after loving it for a year I discovered I knew the illustrator which is kind of fun!

5/5

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book introduces your babe to the thought experiment, Schrödinger's Cat, and thus, the world of quantum physics. Spiro really reduces the theory down into a very simple narrative, almost too simple for my 2.5 year old. I was, however, kind of surprised with how quickly my daughter picked up on the idea and had no problem with thinking that the cat is both awake and asleep at once.

[TJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible baby book, also bad science

See the title? You just spent more time reading this than this book was worth. Pop science is great; kids books are, well, kids books. But this one sucks. I'm sorry too.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby Loves Quantum Physics introduces little readers to the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment (with a sleepy cat instead of a deceased one). The illustrations are adorable and the concepts are perfectly packaged for little ones.

[Sharon Pegram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this is what it looks like: accurate science in a developmentally appropriate board book. Not only is this the simplest explanation of the basic idea of quantum physics I've ever seen, it is absolutely adorable!

[Eva_Amaré · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty sure the point of this book was not for us to be finding the cat on each page, but we sure had a good time doing exactly that. Absolutely loved the pics and hopefully mama will figure out who or what this Shrödinger is and let us know. 🐱

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many of the books in the series they simplify more complex concepts and make it easy for babies to learn vocabulary and gives parents something to discuss with them. Pictures are great overall but excellent for us as we have a cat that looks similar to the one in the book.

[Momma Brin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than many "baby" complex concept series which do not understand interacting with young children at all. This book actually used an experience that a child might actually interact with, and although still a jump for the logic, just by telling the kid at a young age they'll believe you.

[Alli TK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I immediately thought of my oldest brother when I read this and how much he would get a kick out of Baby's First Schrodinger's Cat. A basic picture book with cute illustrations, but with a hilarious and clever STEM twist.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this adorably illustrated book, a baby is introduced to a concept of quantum physics through the use of a cute little cat. The cat is hiding in the box. It could be asleep or awake - and in quantum physics, until baby looks in the box, cat is both asleep and awake.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schrödinger's cat explained in the most adorable way possible.

[Rebecca Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiro's books on this are much more effective for kids than Ferrie's. I love this spin on Schrodinger's Cat.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was basically made for Maddie, who is infinitely curious about the state of all cats everywhere. She will find out if that cat in the box is awake or asleep.

[Sue Mosher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had my doubts, but this is a cute book introducing the idea of Schrodinger's Cat.