Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | Picture Book List For United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9

Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty

Ada Twist’s head is full of questions. Ada has always been endlessly curious. Even when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments don’t go as planned, Ada learns the value of thinking her way through problems and continuing to stay curious in order to find new ideas and innovations.

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba

Based on a true story, this book explores the accomplishments of a young boy in Malawi, in Africa, who watches his family’s farm die off due to drought. Using his local library and teaching himself English, the language in which all the scientific books are written, he figures out how to use trash and miscellaneous parts lying around his community to create a windmill. He uses the windmill to create electricity and, eventually, power a well for his family’s garden. This story is so wonderful for children on so many accounts. With respect to this UN SDG, it highlights the role innovation and creativity can have in solving complex problems about life’s most basic needs. 

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

A little girl has the vision to create a perfect thing (which is not described early in the story). She has many failed attempts but just can’t execute the vision in her head. She takes a break, comes back to her work, continues to work on her ideas, and eventually creates exactly what she wanted. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Meet The Gears A Family of Engineers by Sparky Riggs

Sam is a curious, 8-year old girl in a family of Engineers. Join her journey to learn about different types of Engineers and how they design the products that we use every day. Readers better understand and appreciate different engineering disciplines such as computer, software, environmental, mechanical, aerospace, and electrical engineering.

There is a second book in this series called Meet The Gears A Family of Engineers Career Day.

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish, Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats: Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them.

Afraid of failure, she hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose (AKA Rosie the Riveter!), who shows her that the first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s something to celebrate. And you can only truly fail if you quit.

Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall

Building something new takes time and patience. There may be a few failures and missteps along the way. Jabari wants to make new machine and finds out through some frustrating failures that we have more success when we learn from our mistakes and also work together as a team.

Sadie Sprocket Builds A Rocket by Sue Fliess

Sadie is a young girl with a big dream to go to Mars. She sets her sights high and learns everything she can about the planet and space. She and her stuffed animals prepare for the historic journey. Travel with Sadie on her fun journey to Mars and see how she uses creativity to build the things she needs to travel to a new planet.

The Great Go-Kart Race by Jonathan Litton

Two young kids want to participate in a go-kart race. They need to build their go-kart and also fix it along the way as they run into problems during the race. The book highlights various science and technology skills related to trial and error, making adjustments, and testing multiple solutions to a problem. Each solution also touches on various scientific concepts like mass, velocity, and friction.

Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty

Iggy Peck is a stellar builder and dreams of being an architect. Unfortunately, few people appreciate Iggy’s talent and certainly not his second-grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer. It looks as if Iggy will have to trade in his T square for a box of crayons . . . until a fateful field trip proves just how useful a mast builder can be.

The Backyard Build by Jonathan Litton

Another book in this science and technology series from Litton, the same two young children want to build a playground in their backyard. They work with an adult to create various components of a playground addressing scientific topics at an introductory level throughout the story.