tracybabler's review
4.0
Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
On the last day of summer, Pearl and her robot Pascal haven't successfully built a sandcastle. So they decide to code one. The book uses this simple task to explain how coding works, including how coding can be useful when something goes wrong. Not to worry--if you've saved all your work, you can try, try again.
I'm about at the same level as my kids in my understanding of coding, so we all learned something from the book! The girls got to geek out with their engineer dad about the specifics, including the fact that Pearl and Pascal are named after programming languages. That little hidden gem was lost on me. š¤·
This is a great STEM learning resource for those upcoming summer months--we can all keep learning, even at the beach!
On the last day of summer, Pearl and her robot Pascal haven't successfully built a sandcastle. So they decide to code one. The book uses this simple task to explain how coding works, including how coding can be useful when something goes wrong. Not to worry--if you've saved all your work, you can try, try again.
I'm about at the same level as my kids in my understanding of coding, so we all learned something from the book! The girls got to geek out with their engineer dad about the specifics, including the fact that Pearl and Pascal are named after programming languages. That little hidden gem was lost on me. š¤·
This is a great STEM learning resource for those upcoming summer months--we can all keep learning, even at the beach!
lsm239's review
4.0
Pearl has wanted to build a sandcastle all summer, but frisbees, sharks, and dogs have gotten in her way every day this summer. So on the last day of summer, Pearl enlists the help of her trusty robot, Pascal. Pearl must give Pascal instructions in code in order to successfully build her sandcastle.
This book gives great examples of basic coding concepts, like breaking a problem into smaller steps, loops, and conditionals. The use of different text fonts emphasizes which instructions are the coded steps, and use visual cues (like a tube float with the instructions for a loop) to emphasize concepts. The illustrations often divide the page into sections like a comic strip, further emphasizing the sequence of events. Bright colors give the feel of a day at the beach.
This book would be a fantastic way to help students (2nd-5th) understand basic coding concepts. It also features a female main character who writes the code, which helps break down the gender stereotypes surrounding technology and coding. Altogether, this is a great book to teach students a new concept and enlarge their view of the world.
This book gives great examples of basic coding concepts, like breaking a problem into smaller steps, loops, and conditionals. The use of different text fonts emphasizes which instructions are the coded steps, and use visual cues (like a tube float with the instructions for a loop) to emphasize concepts. The illustrations often divide the page into sections like a comic strip, further emphasizing the sequence of events. Bright colors give the feel of a day at the beach.
This book would be a fantastic way to help students (2nd-5th) understand basic coding concepts. It also features a female main character who writes the code, which helps break down the gender stereotypes surrounding technology and coding. Altogether, this is a great book to teach students a new concept and enlarge their view of the world.
shighley's review
4.0
This book would be a great way to introduce coding to students. It's a great example of coding unplugged.
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
One of the best software writing picture books I've seen. Though to be fair I can't name another. Not bad. It certainly introduces the idea that programming is really just breaking down a project into steps and getting something else to do them. There is an actual story and the art is fine.
readingthroughtheages's review
5.0
This is a book that will teach a wide audience. Between the curriculum ties (STEM, coding, how to book) and it being a picture book in the āgirls who codeā series (check out the chapter books), there are going to be a lot of readers for this book!
rhodesee's review
4.0
A cute summer themed stem read. I love that it is a stem book with a female protagonist. I'll read more of Pearl and Pascal's adventures for sure.
yapha's review
4.0
Fantastic introduction to the concept of coding for early elementary school students, and a fun summer story as well.
jshettel's review
5.0
Excellent book that explains coding concepts in a concrete way for young coders!!
sunflowerjess's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
This is an awesome introduction to coding for kids, and even better, it is a Girls Who Code production! I love the diversity in this book, the funny moments, and the way coding terms are explained.Ā