Rating: 5 stars

Brad Meltzer’s fourth book in the “Ordinary People Who Change the World” series is “I Am Albert Einstein.” When you’ve written “I Am Abraham Lincoln,” “I Am Amelia Earhart,” and “I Am Rosa Parks,” who can follow that illustrious group? Albert Einstein is the perfect choice.

Each of his very thoughtful and very well researched books showcases something special about the subject of the biographies, a character trait that made the person heroic. Albert Einstein’s special trait, which is repeated over and over in the book, is that he never stopped asking questions.

Einstein was also different from birth. He talked late and he didn’t join other kids in their games. He preferred to think and build things. That’s another point the biography makes: “Being different doesn’t have to be a weakness; sometimes it can be your greatest strength.”

The illustrator, Christopher Eliopoulos, has a very distinctive style, perfect for this series. The characters tend to have large heads, but the character of the subject of the book has a head that looks like the cartoon head of an adult. And the head stays the same throughout the story. So Albert Einstein is born with a large head of white hair and a white mustache. That looks pretty funny with the pacifier in his mouth!

This series is superb for any child who is curious about the world. The books are engaging, fairly easy to read, and fascinating. They are filled with facts and information that will keep kids reading — adults, too! The writing flows and works perfectly with the dialogue bubbles from the characters.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Dial Books for Young Readers, for review purposes.