Albee, Sarah. Bounce: A Scientific History of Rubber. Eileen Ryan Ewen, Illus. Charlesbridge, 10/2024. 48pp. Nonfiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-6235-4379-2. GRADES Kindergarten–3. OUTSTANDING.
Five hundred years ago, Europeans didn’t even have a word for bounce, much less words for a material that can be molded and shaped, stretched, floated, rolled, and, most importantly, can rebound. All that changed when rubber balls, and the active games they enabled, were imported from the New World. Bounce goes deeper than anecdote, including information about the science behind elastic polymers and an eye-opening account of the inventions rubber allows. Varied and active fonts, paired with whimsical watercolor and ink illustrations, humorously convey the game-changing versatility of rubber and the stinky, tinkering experiments needed to overcome its physical limitations. An afterword adds disturbing details about rubber’s history. Back matter includes a detailed timeline, bibliography, and quote sources. Illustrations show varied racial ethnicities. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired