Back in December 2020, a campaign for an innovative picture book launched on Kickstarter. A Day in Code: Python teaches the Python programming language in a unique way. As readers follow along a story of a summer day, they are introduced to how different actions and events of the day can be expressed as algorithms and then put into code. The campaign was a success and now A Day in Code: Python is available to everyone.
How Can You Get A Day in Code: Python?
Shari Eskenas, the founder of Sundae Electronics LLC, has published her latest book, A Day in Code: Python. I reviewed this fascinating picture book that covers the basics of the Python computer language during the campaign. Here is a link to my review. The Kindle e-book is currently available from Amazon for $9.99. The paperback and hardcover editions are also available for pre-order on Amazon for $14.99 and $21.99 respectively. They will both be released on July 27, 2021.
Why Should You Get A Day in Code: Python?
Don’t let the picture book format fool you that this is just for young children. This book can help older children and even adults learn Python. Shari’s previous book used the same format to teach the C programming language. I tried it with some of high school students in my computer science classes and they liked the way the book provides a situation, gives the programming code, and then explains how the code works and what it does. The book even provides instructions on how to access Python interpreters and IDEs (integrated development environment) on a computer so readers can type in the code from the book and see how it works in real life.
Now that many students are on summer break, parents are looking for ways to keep them engaged in education, especially after this last year of school where most students’ education was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Day in Code: Python is a great way to expose students to STEM concepts. The book contains 17 lessons which can be done individually or in groups of lessons. Each focuses on an activity in the day in the life of the characters. These lessons not only teach coding, but also how to think logically. This is the same type of skill students need to use when solving word problems for mathematics as they take a narrative and convert it into a mathematical equation. Many computer science teachers as well as people I know in the industry recommend learning Python since it is not only used widely, but its structure is also similar to other programming languages in use today. When I wrote my review back in December, A Day in Code: Python was not yet complete. However, now that I have seen the final product, I am very impressed with it and will be having my own children work through the book this summer. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn the basics of coding in Python for themselves or their children. A Day in Code: Python is also a great tool for teachers as they are preparing for a return to school in the fall.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a copy of A Day in Code for review purposes.
