The Firefly visual dictionary

A picture is sometimes worth a thousand words, and this bulky visual dictionary is definitely designed with that premise firmly in mind. Approximately 6,000 entries, containing a total of 35,000 terms, cover everything from cheetahs to heat pumps. Seventeen broad subject classifications from "Astronomy" to "Sports and Games" aid users in finding the illustrations they are seeking. The sections are color coded and can be easily located by looking at the side of the volume, though a detailed table of contents gives equally good access. The full-color computer-generated illustrations, though they have a bit of a homogenized look, are admirably clear and vary in size from a full page to two square inches. The small type used for labeling may pose problems for some readers, but upper-elementary, middle-, and high-school students should find reading the terms unproblematic, and the arrows pointing to the items labeled are clearly and unequivocally placed. An excellent teaching or browsing book, this is a fine extension of the authors' earlier The Facts On File Junior Visual Dictionary (Facts On File, 1989), including many items not in the previous, smaller work as well as updating and extending pictures related to technology. A caveat may be in order: upper-elementary students could find pictures of women's undergarments and the cross sections of the human reproductive system unduly engrossing. Regardless, this thoroughly indexed, attractive volume is certainly a good addition to public and school library collections.

Can't remember the name of that squiggly pasta you stumbled across in the supermarket last year? Need a picture of the earth's structure from its core outward and the identification of various layers of rock and soil? Diagram lovers will enjoy browsing through this 960-page successor to The Macmillan Visual Dictionary, also compiled by linguist specialists Corbeil and Archambault. The new edition contains 10,000 more terms (35,000 in all) and 500 more full-color, computer-generated illustrations (6000 in all). The 17 chapters are organized by broad subject categories (e.g., "Animal Kingdom," "Food and Kitchen," and "Arts and Architecture") and incorporate a wide variety of items, from astronomy to evolution to modern life. But this book is far from inclusive; for instance, neither bobcats nor recorders are included, though readers will find both panpipes and the lyre. Also, the occasional British term may confuse American readers; e.g., "color circle" is used instead of the more common "color wheel," and "American football" appears instead of simply "football." The illustrations range in size from large enough for every minute detail to be easily visible (e.g., motorcycle) to small enough to require a magnifying glass (e.g., ichthyostega). Except for the preface, table of contents, and index, the only text in this book consists of chapter headings, themes, titles, subtitles, and actual terms. Furthermore, the index lists all illustrated terms but does not list subject categories. For example, neither dinosaur nor Jurassic Period appears in the index, but nothosaur and tyrannosaur do. Although not an essential purchase, this visual dictionary offers diagrams detailed enough for the average browser if not for those who need more in-depth analysis of specific terms. Also, students who need "that" picture for a school assignment will find it useful, as will those whose first language is not English. For public libraries. [Firefly plans to publish a multilingual version of the dictionary next year that will feature the same layout but include terms in English, Spanish, French, and German.-Ed.]-Laurie Selwyn, Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.