(3) K-3 Jump into Science series. Illustrated by Carla Golembe. This book provides a clear and detailed description of the sun, including its composition, importance to life on Earth, and place in the solar system. Simple comparisons help readers visualize the sun's actual size and distance from Earth. Bright gouache illustrations featuring two children and their cat effectively combine whimsy with clarity. A simple suggested activity is included.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Fred Harper. A zany bearded geologist and his rodent sidekick, Digger, lead readers through informative descriptions of numerous topics in the earth sciences, from geologic time to earth materials to natural disasters and plate tectonics. Bright spreads cram in a multitude of features: fictional cartoons of the characters' escapades, color photographs and diagrams, scientist bios, and "Dirtmeister's Nugget" sidebars with facts in dizzying fonts. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 With Carsten Peter. Tomecek covers factual information about rock types, rock formation, and mineral properties, with a great deal of emphasis on human uses for a variety of earth materials. The overly bright, busy layouts include good color photographs and text boxes with commentary from "extreme" photographer Peter, who has experienced many of the geologic phenomena. Several basic experiments are also included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kyle Poling. Tomecek introduces young readers to the basics of rock types, their formation, and the larger-scale processes that shape the earth (with a smaller section on minerals). Helpful color photographs of the rock and mineral specimens are superimposed on somewhat-less-accurate cartoonlike illustrations of larger-scale rock formations and processes. A cartoon character guides readers through; a "rock"-making activity is appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Jump into Science series. Illustrated by Liisa Chauncy Guida. Tomecek includes a great deal of basic information about the moon in straightforward explanations understandable to young children. He starts with observations and myths, then moves to scientific explanations for craters, moon surface conditions, and earth-moon-sun spatial relationships. The colorful cartoonlike illustrations, featuring a friendly cat and firefly, are appealing but do little to aid in scientific understanding.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Jump into Science series. Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. Some of the many topics covered in this introduction to stars include why we can't see them during the day, classification, and relationships between brightness, size, and distance from earth. Tomecek's text skillfully presents appropriate information to directly address common misconceptions. However, the appealing but misleading artwork and text design undermine the carefully constructed explanations.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford