The Horn Book Guide

SCIENCE

Rhatigan, Joe , Gunter, Veronika Alice

Cool Chemistry Concoctions: 50 Formulas That Fizz, Foam, Splatter & Ooze

80 pp. | Lark | May, 2005 | Trade ISBN 1-57990-620-6 $14.95

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tom LaBaff. This book lives up to its title. The experiments are generally simple (self-inflating balloons) and messy (neckties dissolved in nail polish remover) with brief explanations afterward. But neither the text nor the glossary can adequately define more complex terms such as polymer, and the energetic illustrations would be more helpful if they showed procedures instead of lively young people enjoying the results. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian