Endangered planet

Gr 4-8-These selections complement one another by offering two contrasting perspectives of life on Earth. Planet presents a global picture of how humanity affects the world at large whereas Life explores Earth's tiniest creatures and their impact on humankind. Children will be immediately drawn to the high-quality graphics artfully laid out on brightly colored spreads. The photographs in the first volume successfully depict people, habitats, and animals around the world, raising global awareness, while the captivating scanning electron micrographs in the second book showcase the unseen creepy critters that surround us. The narratives are logically arranged into three chapters, each containing a broad overview as well as more detailed subtopics. Each level of text is complete, enabling children of different ages to access the information they seek. Although a couple of the charts in Planet are confusing at first glance, close examination of the text clarifies their meaning. Fans of the "Eyewitness Books" (DK) will feel at home with these offerings, and teachers may find that the connection and arrangement of concepts here is more conducive to learning.-Jenna Miller, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Double-page spreads explain how overpopulation, urban expansion, and air and water pollution have damaged the earth's fragile ecosystem, strained natural resources, and threatened wildlife. The final chapter introduces some of the measures being taken to conserve energy and protect the environment. Illustrated with color photos, the busy volume includes chapter summaries that unnecessarily reiterate information discussed just pages earlier. Websites. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.