Little People, Big Dreams: Albert Einstein; Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Jean Claude

Born in Germany to Jewish parents, Albert was a quiet child who would take four years to speak a word. He was curious and inquisitive and although school was difficult he loved studying physics and maths at home. It wasn’t long before he was publishing scientific papers and his extraordinary mind would come up with brilliance that would change the world of physics forever…

It is about time that one of the greatest scientific minds whose thoughts and ideas continue to influence the world today was added to the Little People, Big Dreams series. If ever there was such a thing as a global superstar of the physics world then Albert Einstein is that person.

Einstein’s story really is fascinating. A young boy who didn’t talk, was rather messy, disorganised, had no friends, struggled at school yet went on to be the man who would change the scientific world with his thoughts and ideas. Everyone needs to read this life story in a nutshell about the genius that proved to the world that, ‘curiosity and imagination are more important than knowledge.’

Children are given a brilliant insight into Einstein’s eventful and interesting life. In thirty-two pages the biography manages to cover his early childhood struggles, his notable thoughts, ideas and influence within the scientific community, and his humanitarian work which included looking out for his fellow Jews when war broke out in Germany and then speaking out and writing about the racism and treatment of Black people after he fled to America.

Yes, Einstein is most famously known as the curious boy who would change the world with his thoughts and ideas, especially his famous formula, E = mc2, his Theory of Relativity and his Nobel Prize award but this cracking little biography provides lesser-known information that is equally interesting and inspiring. I admire him for his strict moral code and his desire to distance himself from the creation of a nuclear bomb that he feared could be created using some of his ideas and I love that he wanted to share his knowledge with others.

Wrapped between fantastic chalk-board endpapers that are adorned with algebra and scientific equations, the story is told in short and simple sentences and is delightfully illustrated with bright and bold artwork, Jean Claude doing an excellent job of portraying Einstein without making him look too comical with his wispy and flyaway hair. At the back of the book there is a short overview of Einstein’s life which includes key facts and dates and a historical timeline featuring photographs.

With thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Allen & Unwin for the copy that I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 5+.