Digging On Dirt

June 1, 2008
K-Gr 2-Most teachers will agree that bringing complicated topics to a young audience is not easy, and Korb does it with mixed results. "Air" discusses the qualities of the substance and its benefits to humans, the atmosphere, and pollution. Unfortunately, the book oversimplifies the answer to the question, "What holds an airplane in the sky?" by responding with, "Air is even strong enough to hold up an airplane!" Henry Pluckrose's "Air" (Gareth Stevens, 2001) is a better choice. "Clouds" is the best of the bunch, but there are many other great choices available on the topic, including Tomie dePaola's "The Cloud Book" (Holiday House, 1975). "Dirt" explains the necessity of soil, the different types, and how they are formed. Its text is a step up from "Air"'s, but in one of the illustrations, an ATV is being driven through a sprouting field, leaving readers to wonder if fragile plants are being damaged. Alice K. Flanagan's "Rocks" and "Soil" (both Compass Point, 2000) are better choices. The format is consistent throughout the bookseach spread contains one or two short paragraphs in a large font. The illustrations are bright and bold, but, although fun, do not contribute to the information. Overall, the simplified writing in these volumes may leave readers with more questions than answers, and some of the illustrations can be misleading."Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL"

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July 1, 2008
These books use simple vocabulary to present a mix of basic and more advanced elementary-level earth and physical science concepts such as the water cycle, rock formation, and the components of soil. Garish digital cartoons, which feature children really, really excited about science, adequately support each book's topic. A simple activity and additional facts are appended. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)