Motion Commotion by Barbara JB Jacoby is a fictionalized, a rousing romp through the world of physics. Two siblings, Adam and Krystal, go swimming by their house and fall into a funny and fascinating world full of all sorts of crazy characters: Granny Franny Force, Grandpa Gravity, Alice Acceleration and others. As they encounter these characters, they also encounter the physical characteristics of each such as Force, Gravity and Acceleration. Each character exhibits the characteristics of the physics involved, making this book a great object lesson for kids.

At 74 pages, Motion Commotion makes a delightful and quick read. Older elementary kids through Junior High will enjoy the surreal and silly world of Motion Commotion and learn a lot by doing so. Younger children will enjoy it as well.

This is a great addition to any physical or pre-physics science program for elementary through Junior high school student. Both my 5th and 7th grader enjoyed it. My 7th grader had just finished a pre-physics course with text and lab work and this was a wonderful, light-hearted addition to that program, cementing the concepts that he’d already encountered.

The book is illustrated throughout by the author, which gives the book of comfortable, homey feeling. My only complaint is that there is not a Table of Contents page, making the book easier to navigate, or Glossary, with the physics terms clearly defined, to cement the concepts painted so colorfully throughout the book.

Motion Commotion is a delightful read and a terrific addition to any homeschooling science library. Soft-cover editions are available for $8.99 and the ebook is a mere $3.99.

Product Review by Lisa Nehring, M.A., The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, 2013