diff --git a/micrograd/engine.py b/micrograd/engine.py
index afd82cc5..ec531b2d 100644
--- a/micrograd/engine.py
+++ b/micrograd/engine.py
@@ -2,53 +2,31 @@
 class Value:
     """ stores a single scalar value and its gradient """
 
-    def __init__(self, data, _children=(), _op=''):
+    def __init__(self, data, _children=(), _op='', _local_grads=()):
         self.data = data
         self.grad = 0
         # internal variables used for autograd graph construction
-        self._backward = lambda: None
-        self._prev = set(_children)
+        self._prev = _children
         self._op = _op # the op that produced this node, for graphviz / debugging / etc
+        self._local_grads = _local_grads # local derivative of this node w.r.t. its children
 
     def __add__(self, other):
         other = other if isinstance(other, Value) else Value(other)
-        out = Value(self.data + other.data, (self, other), '+')
-
-        def _backward():
-            self.grad += out.grad
-            other.grad += out.grad
-        out._backward = _backward
-
+        out = Value(self.data + other.data, (self, other), '+', (1, 1))
         return out
 
     def __mul__(self, other):
         other = other if isinstance(other, Value) else Value(other)
-        out = Value(self.data * other.data, (self, other), '*')
-
-        def _backward():
-            self.grad += other.data * out.grad
-            other.grad += self.data * out.grad
-        out._backward = _backward
-
+        out = Value(self.data * other.data, (self, other), '*', (other.data, self.data))
         return out
 
     def __pow__(self, other):
         assert isinstance(other, (int, float)), "only supporting int/float powers for now"
-        out = Value(self.data**other, (self,), f'**{other}')
-
-        def _backward():
-            self.grad += (other * self.data**(other-1)) * out.grad
-        out._backward = _backward
-
+        out = Value(self.data**other, (self,), f'**{other}', (other * self.data**(other-1),))
         return out
 
     def relu(self):
-        out = Value(0 if self.data < 0 else self.data, (self,), 'ReLU')
-
-        def _backward():
-            self.grad += (out.data > 0) * out.grad
-        out._backward = _backward
-
+        out = Value(0 if self.data < 0 else self.data, (self,), 'ReLU', (float(self.data > 0),))
         return out
 
     def backward(self):
@@ -67,7 +45,8 @@ def build_topo(v):
         # go one variable at a time and apply the chain rule to get its gradient
         self.grad = 1
         for v in reversed(topo):
-            v._backward()
+            for child, local_grad in zip(v._prev, v._local_grads):
+                child.grad += local_grad * v.grad
 
     def __neg__(self): # -self
         return self * -1