The Friendly Carbon

By Dr. Quazoo · Illustrated by Rose Freeland

Meet carbon in the second illustrated space adventure in the Molecule Series. A story-led invitation to explore an element at the heart of the chemistry of life.

Carbon and chemical bondsMolecules in living thingsElements and materials

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Series: The Molecule Series
Paperback ISBN: 9781067395025
Read it together: Storytime, questions, and discovery

Why share this book?

A story that opens
a conversation.

Carbon offers a natural starting point for talking about connections. Use the story to introduce chemical bonds, then look beyond the pages to plants, food, and the many different materials that contain carbon.

Make the science feel close to home.

A leaf, a piece of fruit, and a pencil offer starting points for a conversation about carbon. Let your child describe what they notice before introducing new science words.

6CCarbon

Atomic number = the number
of protons in an atom

The science behind the story

One element. An extraordinary range of possibilities.

A carbon atom has six protons. Carbon can form four covalent bonds and is part of the molecules that make up living things. Diamond and graphite are both forms of carbon, but their atoms are arranged differently, giving them very different properties.

A note for grown-ups

“Friendly” is a story metaphor. Carbon does not choose its partners. How atoms bond depends on their electrons and the conditions around them.

Explore carbon with the Royal Society of Chemistry

Beyond the pages

Keep exploring. Together.

Supplementary ideas for your family’s reading time.

Ask a big question

“How can the same element be part of a pencil and a diamond?”

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

Look for connections

Draw a C with four lines extending from it. Use it as a starting point to talk about carbon’s ability to form bonds. Then compare a pencil mark with a picture of a diamond. Ask how a different arrangement could change a material.

More guidance for parents