Uranus

Gr 1-2-It's never too soon to turn children's eyes skyward, but these primers illustrate the hazards of oversimplification. With an often-indistinguishable mix of photos, digitally manipulated pictures, and manufactured images, each title confines itself to placing its subject within the family of planets, and describing a handful of distinctive physical characteristics. Beginning readers are, however, more likely to be confused than enlightened by claims that Mercury has ice, but no water, and by these consecutive statements in Venus: "Thousands of craters cover Venus. Thick clouds made of acid cover Venus." Furthermore, the assertion that "people on Earth cannot easily see Uranus without a telescope" is incorrect, as that planet cannot be seen at all with unaided eyes, and "-volcanoes on Venus are no longer active" begs a question that is still very much open. All three volumes close with useful lists of current print titles and a link to a Web site. However, weighing in at less than 140 words each, these titles highlight the necessity of choosing those words more carefully.-John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.