Most STE(A)M books are a story first. They check of the STEM box by having characters build or work through a science experiment but that element is only there as a prop for the personal issue. This one instead uses a simple plot to illustrate simple STEAM concepts with heavy emphasis on using observation as as the basis for problem solving. The kids solve their own problems. They get some guidance from a helpful adult but the conclusions are still their own.

STEAM Stories: The Great Go-Kart Race (Science) by Jonathon Litton was a great book to help me introduce out STEM unit in my homeschool classroom. The kids were engaged and interactive with the concepts and have referenced back to the pictures and lessons several times.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Max and Suzy are entered in the Go-Kart Race. During the race , they face some problems and solve them. The science and technology behind it is explained well. Illustrations are good. There are also some question and answers to make it interesting for kids.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

Featuring a diverse cast of characters, the science installment of STEAM stories is a delight. Suzy and Max learn about the science as they solve problems that come up in an action packed go kart race. New concepts and terms are highlighted with a bold font, as well as being expounded upon in the back matter. A great beginning read for fans of picture books looking to learn something while being entertained.

STEAM Stories is a series of five books, each of which focuses on one of the five STEAM subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. In each of the five stories, two kids – Max and Suzy – are faced with a series of challenges as they try to complete a task. The stories are written in a way that encourages the children reading to join in with helping Max and Suzy, and the end of each book looks at the subject in a little more depth with questions for the reader.

The tasks Max and Suzy face include competing in a go-kart race (Science), fixing a robot (Technology), building playground equipment in their garden (Engineering), running a cookie stall (Art), and solving a mathematical treasure hunt to enjoy the perfect picnic (Math). Each book is short and brightly colored, making it ideal for capturing and keeping the attention of young children. A series of ideal primers for introducing the basics of STEAM.

A good book to teach kids about physics, problem solving and the power of cooperative efforts. I love that it includes a girl and a boy actively solving STEM problems and being resourceful enough to figure it out all by themselves!

A great and fund educational book. I loved all the words in bold and thought the story gave lots of information without sucking the fun out of reading. I would love to see more books about different subjects, this could be the start of a great series.

I've read two books from the STEAM Stories series so far and can't wait to read more! They introduce children in an entertaining way to important concepts of engineering, physics and other "STEAM" topics.

Young children will simply enjoy a fun story with likeable characters, while older children can learn a lot from problem solving together with the characters and answering the questions at the back of the book.

In this story, Max and Suzy take part in a go-kart race, but it doesn't go smoothly and they have to think up solutions to problems such as getting stuck in the mud and having a flat tyre.

The pictures, while slightly too digital for my taste, are bright and cheerful and will appeal to children of all ages.

I would highly recommend these books - they will help create the thinkers of the future!

This book was nicely written and clearly illustrated and well done. My son enjoyed it, but wasn’t thrilled by it unfortunately. Due to the recent science books for kids, as well as shows on TV like Bits and Bob and Blaze and the Monster Machines, I’d be quite concerned that this would get overlooked in favour of it’s newer flashier siblings.

The Great Go-Kart Race is a story in a new series of picture books that feature STEAM concepts. Each entry will highlight Science, Technology, Engineering, Art or Math. This one is about science.

The book has lovely, appealing illustrations. We watch as the young protagonists. Max and Suzy try to win their go-kart race while encountering some obstacles along the way. For example, they get stuck in the mud. How will Max and Suzy manage their challenges? They succeed by using what they know and observe.

Young listeners will get an easy to understand yet genuine exposure to some scientific principles as try to figure out what will happen next. Concepts covered include forces, energy and materials. The back of the book has questions and additional resources.

This looks like it will be a great way to introduce concepts to children. I look forward to reading more in the series.

I immediately want to go and buy all of these in the series. My son is just turning 3 and he loved the story, i know that when he's older he will love them even more! A fantastic read, I hope they come in a box set!

This book isn't as heavy as I'd expect on the science, but that probably helps it go over well with younger children (my 6 year old liked it very much). The illustrations were nothing special but the story was done well. My major gripe was that most of the science came in the form of questions at the end which I think would have went down better if they were interspersed throughout the story.

This book was a great mix of science and story! This book would be a great one to read in a classroom or as part of a homeschool curriculum. The story is a simple one of a go-kart race, but there are scientific ideas throughout. Each term is used appropriately and at the end of the book they are discussed further and includes questions for further discussion. Some of the best things in the book, besides the science, is that the girl is as fast if not faster than the boy, the main characters come in second in the race, and they were given an award for solving so many scientific problems which they say is even better than winning the race.

The title is all you need to know about this story.
The kids face various obstacles in the race, like dead batteries and muddy puddles, but no matter how long it takes to get help from a passing tractor or think their next step through, they manage to stay in the race.
Professor Know-It-All! Perfect!
The first page shows the starting line of the race, and there’s a kart in the middle with a smiling kid. . . and right behind him is another smiling kid leaning over so she can be in the shot as well. It looks hilarious.
The last few pages feature a more detailed explanation of the science involved.
The artwork is basic, but cute nonetheless. It doesn’t get in the way of the storytelling, or rather science-telling.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

Written simply by Jonathan Litton, and colorfully illustrated by Magalí Mansilla, this is another in a series aimed at promoting young people's interest in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math, and this one takes an engineering and a problem-solving approach, teaching a little physics and intelligent thinking along the way. Girls are sadly underrepresented in these fields and the professions suffer from that, so anything that serves to promote an interest in these subjects as a path to a profession, is to be welcomed.

It's the big go-kart race and our diverse boy-girl team are competing, but it's not simply a matter of steering the vehicle around a track! There are unexpected problems along the way and some very inventive and thoughtful efforts at solving them are required. Our boy and girl are equal though, and equal to the challenge, both of them contributing to the solutions. It's this team work, even in the midst of this highly-competitive race, that pays off, as it always will. I commend this as a worthy read for young children of both genders and all shades.

Another great day for Suzy and Max! This time, the dynamic duo is trying to win, or at least to finish, a go-kart race. Just like with other books in this series, Suzy and Max face some STEAM-related problems that they solve using logic reasoning.

The story is nice and engaging, the illustrations are beautiful, the characters are gender-balanced, and it gets across very interesting science information. The last part of the book helps kids remember and discuss what they just read.

It's awesome! I was provided an electronic copy of each of this book by Quarto Publishing Group - QEB and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and now I need to get copies for my kid and my friend's kids.

Short Review


Title: The Great Go-Kart Race

By: Jonathan Litton



Rating:🥄🥄🥄🥄



Review: Super cute and educational my favorite. Downloaded from Netgalley exchange for review.

What a brilliant story; better than a parable, more useful than a fairytale and packed with learning.
The illustrations are beautiful and the story is sweet, but the icing on the cake is the questions at the end.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was an interesting concept and story. I liked that the kids needed to solve problems to make it through the race. I also liked how they explained the science behind the story at the end of the book. It's a great way to get kids thinking about the way things work. The only downside is I believe it is British, so many of the terms in the book would be foreign to American children. Otherwise this is a great book for kids.