Mother-son team Jonah and Jeanette Winter bring to life one of the most secretive scientific projects in history—the creation of the atomic bomb—in this powerful and moving picture book.
At a former boy’s school in the remote desert of New Mexico, the world’s greatest scientists have gathered to work on the “Gadget,” an invention so dangerous and classified they cannot even call it by its real name. They work hard, surrounded by top security and sworn to secrecy, until finally they take their creation far out into the desert to test it, and afterward the world will never be the same.
Five starred reviews!
Mother-son team Jonah and Jeanette Winter bring to life one of the most secretive scientific projects in history—the creation of the atomic bomb—in this “astonishing…beautifully told” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) picture book.
At a former boy’s school in the remote desert of New Mexico, the world’s greatest scientists have gathered to work on the “Gadget,” an invention so dangerous and classified they cannot even call it by its real name. They work hard, surrounded by top security and sworn to secrecy, until finally they take their creation far out into the desert to test it, and afterward the world will never be the same.
This picture book tells the story of the secret creation of the atomic bomb. An all boys’ school in a desert location is closed, taken over by the government, and becomes the laboratory for the world’s most intelligent scientists. They gather to work in secrecy to create a “gadget.” The project is so secret that many of the people working there have no idea what is being created. Jeanette Winter’s illustrations depict a bright and cheerful desert life, while conversely shrouding the scientists and their work in darkness, showing silhouetted figures in shadowy, ominous colors. Once the “gadget” is complete, they travel deep into the secluded desert to test it out, observing it from afar. The final pages feature only the powerful images of the scientists watching the results of their creation explode into clouds and plumes of fire and destruction. The plain, black endpapers suggest harsh finality. Jonah Winter’s honest depiction, accompanied by the vivid and detailed artwork, tells the creation of the atomic bomb with expertise and tact. The end of the book features an author’s note, followed by a page of suggestions for further reading. This is an excellent historical, as well as scientific, picture book offering opportunity for rich discussion among student readers and educators.
Highly Recommended
