Inner Child: Riding on a Beam of Light by Ramsey Dean (Book Review)

Inner Child is an original Artsy Reader Girl feature, where I take a moment to highlight a cute book for kids! I love children's books. Hey, I started out on them! They are the foundation of my love of reading. When I need a smile, or a quick dose of the "good old days", I never hesitate to crack open a picture book and feed my inner child.

Title: Riding on a Beam of Light
Author: Ramsey Dean
Illustrator: Noah Hamden
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: The Light Beam Riders
Format: PDF
Source: JKS Communications (thanks!)
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Albert Einstein adamantly emphasized the importance of imagination. In this vividly illustrated storybook, lights-out turns into learning as we’re swept away by young Albert Einstein’s fantastical, and ultimately world-changing idea in an adventure that’s reminiscent of classics like Harold and the Purple Crayon and Where the Wild Things Are. At it’s heart is a story about imagination and dreaming, adventurous and engaging, with gorgeous illustrations that captures our grown-up hearts and our children’s curiosity.

I'm so happy to be here today with another fun book for children! This one is all about young Albert Einstein, a boy who grew into a man whose ideas changed the world. I have always been fascinated by him. I think we all remember the days when mom would come in and turn out the lights, plunging our bedrooms into darkness in the hopes that we would drift off to sleep soon. Did that ever really happen? No. Some of us pulled out flashlights and read under the covers. Some of us jumped out of bed and built a fort in the dark. Albert went on space adventures, and this book takes us along for the ride. 

I think the thing I love most about Riding on a Beam of Light is the strong emphasis placed on curiosity, discovery, imagination, and free thinking. Albert is proof that young minds can do great things, and that message is conveyed to readers. The whimsical rhyming and illustrations bursting with color strike up a feeling of awe and excitement. It's absolutely magical. I also think that this is a wonderful way to introduce science at an early age. I've run across many Einstein wannabes in my years of teaching and working with kids, and I can just picture a few of them absolutely LOVING Riding on a Beam of Light. I'm going to end with my very favorite illustration from the book. I think Mr. Einstein would agree that this is where it all started.