(4) 4-6 Photographs by Tara Darling. This book about Thailand's free elephant hospital focuses mostly on the elephant patients and their recovery, although some readers might miss having information about the facilities, vets and volunteers shown in the clear color photos. But rescued elephant babies have inherent interest, and a note tells how to become a Friend of the Asian Elephant. Ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 An introductory chapter describes microorganisms living in the human body. Subsequent chapters discuss those living on the skin and in the respiratory and digestive systems. Margin notes provide definitions and pronunciation guides for scientific terms. The color microphotographs are striking, and the informal text tries to reassure readers of the normalcy of hosting these creatures. Ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Carolrhoda Nature Watch series. Photographs by Tara Darling-Lyon. Strong writing and animal photography work together to create books that will be sought out for school assignments and recreational reading. In Kangaroos, the chapter on reproduction with its striking photographs is particularly good. Lions and Polar Bears also provide full descriptions of their subjects, including information about habitats, behavior, and environmental issues. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by True Kelley. Fifty simple (and cool) experiments, tricks, and activities are presented in accessible prose and playful black-and-white illustrations. The book teaches readers how to burn a candle under water, make square-shaped hard-boiled eggs, and create a bomb from a sandwich bag. All the activities require household objects, and the scientific concepts behind each experiment are clearly explained in a section called "Insider Information." Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Numerous outdoor and classroom activities are described, ranging from building stink bombs to creating "lawn graffiti" to dowsing for water. The authors try too hard to appeal to the non-science crowd with pseudo-hip language and projects of very dubious scientific merit. The activities will appeal to kids, but some require hard-to-obtain items such as Van de Graaff generators. Ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 Photographs by Tara Darling. Attractive color photographs of cats and kittens in many different settings illustrate this introduction to cat breeds. Some of the names have been altered slightly to accommodate the alphabet concept--"X-otic shorthair" for X, "long-haired Abyssinian" for L, and "Fold" for F (instead of the full name, Scottish Fold)--but otherwise, the picture book is informative, with a few sentences providing a brief history of each type of cat.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 Photographs by Tara Darling. Published spring 1998. This mother-daughter team provides a personal introduction to lemurs by describing their encounters with these playful animals at Berenty, a private reserve in Madagascar. Information covered includes lemur leaping, territory marking, and "stink fighting." The clear color photographs, which capture all aspects of everyday lemur activities, are as intriguing as the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Daniel Brabander