The Sketcher and the Photographer · ages 9-14

Oil and Water

The idea: the parts water pushes away end up inside.

Read it

Who is in this book

Danya a child of the Green Asks "how do we know?"
Margit A prediction drawn from the letters alone, firm where sure and faint where not
Kemi A measurement from the real thing, sharp where it held still and blurred where it moved
Beto a child of the Green Takes things apart

Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.

The Honest Page

Which parts of this story are true, stretched or made up?

True

In water, oily parts of a protein usually end up packed together on the inside. This is called the hydrophobic effect. Source
Eleven inside and one on the surface make twelve.
Oily patches on a protein's surface are often where it touches a partner. Source

Stretched

Water does not push in the way a hand pushes. What we simplified: Water molecules stick to each other more than to oil, so the oil ends up gathered; 'pushes' is a shortcut for that.

Made up

Margit, Kemi and their protein are made up.

Tell it back

Tell the story in your own words: who was there, what went wrong, and what they found out. Then the third pair goes on your belt.

Ring the hammer for someone

Pick this book for someone younger. The link carries only the book, and it will wait for them on the Green.

Across the Table → For the grown-up: the story in three lines, one question to ask, and one thing to do together.