• Age: 7 to 10
• Grade: 2 to 5
• Reading age: 7 to 10

In this hilarious story about a couple of clever mice on a quest for a tasty treat, readers get a “paws-on” introduction to six simple machines.

Ginger and Mac are pros at snatching up delicious tidbits and bringing them back to their cozy mousehole to eat. Today, though, their mission is complicated. Their target is an especially aromatic vanilla cupcake with pink buttercream frosting. Only, it's (a) too big for them to carry, (b) on a high counter within leaping distance of both the resident cat and dog and (c) under a heavy glass cake dome. Luckily, these mice love nothing more than solving a challenging problem (except maybe eating buttercream frosting!). Ginger is sure they can use simple machines to get the job done. But is she right?

Bambi Edlund has created a fun way to teach children about the basic concepts of mechanical physics. Ginger and Mac's adventure story is told in panels with dialogue boxes, while the science behind how simple machines work is explained throughout the story in fully illustrated sections that never interrupt the flow of the narrative. The result is a highly entertaining book that gives readers a clear and easy-to-understand overview of the six simple machines - inclined plane, lever, pulley, wheel and axle, screw, and wedge - and how they make life easier. It's sure to inspire readers to search for examples of simple machines that exist all around them. With loads of hands-on activities that can be done at home or in the classroom, this is an excellent choice for teaching elementary physics and engineering.

BAMBI EDLUND is an illustrator, writer, and peanut butter sandwich enthusiast living on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. She spends much of her time drawing, sculpting, and chatting with the various critters that live nearby. She is determined to someday teach a raccoon to juggle ... but so far they just roll their eyes at her and steal her oranges.

Bambi Edlund's profile page

• Short-listed, Forest of Reading; Silver Birch Express Award, Ontario Library Association
• Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, Hackmatack
• Short-listed, Lane Anderson Award; Young Reader, The Lane Anderson Award
• Short-listed, 2024/25 Red Cedar Book Award, Young Readers' Choice Awards Society of British Columbia
• Long-listed, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Awards, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC)

... an excellent introduction to physics. The cartoon-style presentation of the adventures of Ginger and Mac is a perfect vehicle for drawing very young students into the topic without them realizing they are 'learning'. Highly Recommended.

CM Magazine