The Explosive Oxygen

By Dr. Quazoo · Illustrated by Rose Freeland

The third space adventure in the Molecule Series puts oxygen in the spotlight. Discover a familiar element through an illustrated story that invites questions about science.

Oxygen in air and waterChemical reactionsBreathing and the natural world

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Series: The Molecule Series
Paperback ISBN: 9781067395001
Read it together: Storytime, questions, and discovery

Why share this book?

A story that opens
a conversation.

Oxygen opens up conversations about air, water, breathing, and chemical reactions. After the adventure, help your child connect the element’s name with things they encounter every day, while keeping the science behind the dramatic title clear.

Ask what changes when atoms combine.

Return to the water model from Hydrogen. Changing the combination of atoms is a useful way to introduce the idea that molecules have their own properties.

8OOxygen

Atomic number = the number
of protons in an atom

The science behind the story

Meet an element that helps power reactions.

An oxygen atom has eight protons. Oxygen gas in the air is mostly O₂: two oxygen atoms bonded together. Oxygen supports combustion, but is not itself a fuel. It is also part of water and is used by our bodies in processes that release energy from food.

A note for grown-ups

The title is dramatic; the distinction matters. Oxygen helps other substances burn. It is not itself flammable. Use drawings and conversation for this reading activity.

Explore oxygen with the Royal Society of Chemistry

Beyond the pages

Keep exploring. Together.

Supplementary ideas for your family’s reading time.

Ask a big question

“If oxygen is in both air and water, why are air and water so different?”

Let your child share an idea before you offer an explanation. It’s fine to say, “Let’s find out together.”

Try a simple activity

Compare O₂ and H₂O

On paper, draw two circles marked O and connect them. Next, draw one O connected to two H circles. Count the atoms in each model. Talk about how different combinations of atoms make different substances.

More guidance for parents