This Makes That

4.7

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Author(s)

Ivan Brunetti

Publisher Name

TOON Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

May 20, 2025

ISBN13

978-1662665561

ISBN10 or ASIN

Lemons can make much more than lemonade! In this new Toon Level 1 Reader, noted creator and art professor Ivan Brunetti teaches young readers a playful lesson about how science is all around them.

Ivan Brunetti is back with a comic all about the science projects young readers do with their friends, peers, and classmates in their first years of elementary school. Capturing a STEAM classroom filled with laughs and visual delights, This Makes That provides lots of ideas for exciting hands-on experiments, from turning half-and-half into ice cream to sending a bottle rocket into the sky with baking soda. The book encourages kids to read, learn visual literacy, and learn about science while having fun at the same time.

Editor review

1 review

A smart and fun read

July 29, 2025 (Updated: June 04, 2026)

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

5.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

This Makes That: TOON Level 1 has all the things to make a smart and fun read, it is full of innovative ideas and observations.

Written in a comic format, Brunetti encourages readers to think and explore along with the students as the characters work together in teams to create projects that show change. The science projects are fun, and most can be done at home with things already on hand. The projects range from simple like bottle rockets, to a bit more complex like making ice-cream or turning a lemon into a battery.
The directions are not included in the story or any backmatter, I believe in hopes that kids will find at least one of these projects entertaining or inspiring and will do their own research.

The comic style panels are easy to follow. The illustrations are lovely. The are bright, colorful, and do a good job showing the emotion and action among the characters and their projects.

This Makes That is a wonderful comic-esque middle grade read, readers will definitely enjoy the details of the classroom and the controlled chaos that often accompanies this group of enthusiastic students.