Big fantastic Earth

Gr 3-6-A simple overview of Earth's geographic diversity, including how the planet was created, how mountains and waterfalls are formed, and how coastlines are affected by the moon and gravity. Beginning with tectonic plates and moving forward to cover different types of mountains, glaciers, rivers, coastal features, and deserts, the title rounds itself out with a look at the Grand Canyon. While there is a substantial amount of main text, spreads on visiting Ayer's Rock and surviving Mount Everest as well as other tidbits, like photos of four World Heritage sites, discovery of a woolly mammoth, and creatures indigenous to deserts, help give independent readers a break. But the attempt to cover so much content in such a short volume is problematic, as slight inaccuracies do arise: mountains are no longer designated at the 1,000 foot mark as per the United States Geological Survey decision; the Skywalk is not a part of the Grand Canyon National Park but a part of Grand Canyon West managed by the Hualapai Tribe. Otherwise, Green takes readers to great heights of understanding and awe. This work concludes with 15 memory questions and a glossary defining previously bolded words. VERDICT Visually attractive but an abundance of information in a small space makes this an additional purchase.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Six substantive chapters describe natural wonders from around the world, ranging from Mount Everest and the Sahara Desert to less-well-known formations such as Australia's Twelve Apostles. Accompanied by excellent photos, the text, leveled for "reading alone," offers nuanced explanations of the landscapes' features. Labeled diagrams and mock news articles expose readers to additional nonfiction formats. Quiz and map appended. Timeline. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.