Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4-7. Photographer Bourseiller takes young readers to the crater's edge with truly spectacular full-color photographs of flowing magma, ash-covered villages, and lava lakes from Ecuador to Tanzania. Each stunning photograph spills into a second page and is accompanied by a small world map marked with a hard-to-see dot to show where the volcanic activity is and a few paragraphs about the volcanic cone, the hot spring, or the crater pictured. Unfortunately, Burleigh's engaging, anecdotal presentation (lots of stories and exclamation points) is marred by confusing geologic explanations as well as some careless editing. For instance, the first section launches into a bewildering description of Earth's structure before it defines, or even pictures, a volcano. On the other hand, the book does an excellent job of documenting the effect of volcanoes on the lives of those who live close to them, and small watercolor paintings further enliven the sense of human history. --Karin Snelson Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Stunning color photographs by Philip Plisson capture the beauty, danger and mystery of the deep in the oversize volume The Sea: Exploring Life on an Ocean Planet, adapted by Robert Burleigh, text by Yvon Mauffret, illus. by Emmanuel Cerisier. From fishermen braving the currents to playful dolphins, lighthouses, shipwrecks and more, these dramatic photos, printed on glossy paper, document the many experiences of sealovers. The text provides brief commentary about the subjects in the photos. For landlubbers, photographs of eruptions fill the pages of a companion volume, Volcanoes: Journey to the Crater's Edge, photographs by Philippe Bourseiller, adapted by Burleigh, text by Helene Montardre, illus. by David Giraudon. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-These oversized photographic essays offer exciting and beautiful views of both the sea and volcanoes, each of which can be dangerous yet sustaining to the people living near them. Burleigh's comments further illume the dramatic photos of the sea as well as the remarkable shots of volcanoes. In the first book, an ecological slant highlights the problems of maintaining clean beaches and keeping animals free from oil slicks; the savagery of the sea is obvious from rescue attempts, shipwrecks, and storms while its economic importance is shown through oyster farming, salt production, and fishing. Following a discussion of the difficulty of photographing volcanoes and how Bourseiller does it, the second title offers worldwide coverage of these geological eruptions. Amazing pictures capture lava lakes, underwater tunnels, mud bowls, ash plumes, and denuded landscapes. In addition to the destruction and power usually associated with a volcano, the benefits are also illustrated, from hot springs and warm sand that aid in healing to improved soil that benefits from fertilization by the ash. Each spread offers enough information to encourage further research. Watercolor illustrations add to the charm of these books, which are perfect for browsing; the descriptive tables of contents make up for the lack of indexes.-Pam Spencer Holley, Young Adult Literature Specialist, Assawoman, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Over thirty stunning photos depict features of volcanoes, from pink flamingos on the banks of volcanic Lake Bogoria in Kenya to red-hot lava flows at Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii. An informative paragraph of text accompanies each photo, as does a locator map (regrettably sometimes difficult to read). Four pages sketchily explain volcanoes and describe Bourseiller's technique. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
