An Engineer Like Me; Dr Shini Somara, illustrated by Nadja Sarell

Curious Zara wonders about everything. On a day out in the city with Gran, she sees lots of fascinating things that get her mind buzzing with questions. From lifts that whizz up to rollercoasters that go upside down to aeroplanes that can fly. Zara wants to know how it all works. 

With the help of some very important engineers who have helped shaped the world, Gran is on hand to provide some much needed answers. And best of all, Zara can be an engineer too…

Dr. Shini Somara, a mechanical engineer, invites readers to join a young girl and her Gran for a STEM-packed day out in this brilliant picture book of questions, answers and simple engineering explanations. Told as a non-fiction narrative, the fun, sweet story is combined with explanations on the workings of various machines, touches on pulleys, motors, counterweights, gravity, forces and radio waves, and introduces famous faces from the engineering world including Hedy Lamarr, Alicia Boler-Davis and Fazlur Rahman Khan.

​It is an absolute pleasure to join Zara for the day out, she is great company and, even as an adult, I learnt a thing or two. She is wonderfully inquisitive and is keen to learn about the world around her, everything is an opportunity to ask a question that needs answering. Adults who find themselves on the receiving end of constant questions from the minds of little ones will love this book with its accessible explanations and simple diagrams. 

An Engineer Like Me is sure to ignite children’s curiosity and passion for how things work as Zara encourages everyone to take notice and to better understand the world in which we live. At the very least, children will want to get involved with some of the wonderings and activities that feature at the end.

Superbly illustrated and with lessons in creative thinking and problem solving, this is an engaging and informative introduction to the world of STEM. And with Zara leading the way, other children, especially young girls, will have the confidence and desire to want to be engineers too.

This is the first in a series of titles with the other books diving into the worlds of science, coding and maths.

Recommended for 5+.