(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. This overview of "high-speed travel" consists of colorful double-page spreads highlighting a variety of land, water, and air transportation vehicles and modes (e.g., ice road trucking, fast rail, wind power). The volume's focus is record-breaking travel on Earth and in space. Busy in format and very loosely organized, the book will have the most appeal for browsers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. The material in this book ranges wide rather than deep, touching on geology, tourism, weather, botany, zoology, mining, and other mountain-related subjects. Diagrams and photographs--some spectacular--enhance the slight presentation. Report writers will glean basic information; browsers will be briefly entertained. Activities are appended. Ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. This book introduces readers to a wide range of human accomplishments, focusing mostly on art and architecture (the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, skyscrapers) but also incorporating technological advancements (the Hubble telescope, the Internet). The many photographs and renderings are appropriately monumental but tend to crowd the pages. Each of the three chapters is introduced with a map. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Covering topics including the Internet, electricity, space travel, robotics, and genetic engineering, this book provides a comprehensive and enthusiastic look at inventions. Illustrations span a wide historical range and provide context for today's technology. The text's arrangement is confusing, but the wealth of interesting information makes up for any disorganization. Chapter summaries. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. This informative volume covers general history and culture as well as specifics about Middle Eastern nations. Despite the wide range of topics, the book is far from exhaustive and some information is already out of date. Historical images, modern photographs, and maps accompany the easy-to-read yet nuanced text. Chapter summaries are included. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Covering topics including evolution, reproduction, nutrition, stem cell technology, and body systems, this book provides a comprehensive and intriguing look at humans. Well-captioned historical prints, photographs, and computer-generated images show the past and future of biology and medicine. The text's arrangement is confusing, but the wealth of interesting information makes up for any disorganization. Chapter summaries are included. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Opening with a brief introduction to the variety of disease-causing pathogens, this informative text provides an overview of plagues and epidemics of the past and present and the science of preventing future outbreaks. The busy, textbooklike pages include many photographs, maps, and diagrams. Chapter summaries are included. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Three divisions ("From City to Empire," "Life in Imperial Rome," and "The End of the Empire") offer a chronological tour through ancient Rome. Each busy double-page spread features several paragraphs of information on a subtopic, such as the Roman army, along with numerous captioned photos and a few paintings. Each overly division ends with a summary and tools for further study. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. The defining characteristics of deserts around the world--their flora, fauna, history, and weather--are the subject of this informational text. Each double-page spread introduces a general observation about desert life and is supported by compelling details. The color photos give no sense of scale, which is occasionally confusing. Three pages of related craft activities accompany the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. The defining characteristics of whales and dolphins--their anatomy, behavior, life cycle, and habitats--are the subject of this informational book. Each double-page spread, illustrated with not always well-chosen photos, introduces a general observation about whales and dolphins, which is supported by compelling details. Three pages of related craft activities accompany the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. This basic introduction to the stars, the sun, and space exploration features famous astronomers, current and ancient beliefs about the origin of the universe, and layouts rich with photos, diagrams, and reproductions. The three chapters end with a summary, websites, places to visit, and related professional fields, giving a textbook element to the otherwise well-illustrated trade book format. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. A blandly competent text discusses the role of archaeology in understanding the past and explains why archaeologists study everything from buried cities to human remains and garbage. Famous sites and discoveries, including Babylon, King Tut's tomb, and the Aztec temple, are introduced in the clear photos and illustrations on double-page spreads. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Double-page spreads explain how overpopulation, urban expansion, and air and water pollution have damaged the earth's fragile ecosystem, strained natural resources, and threatened wildlife. The final chapter introduces some of the measures being taken to conserve energy and protect the environment. Illustrated with color photos, the busy volume includes chapter summaries that unnecessarily reiterate information discussed just pages earlier. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Engaging double-page spreads reveal basic information about the use of espionage throughout history, describe the role of a spy, and touch on equipment and techniques (e.g., disguises, codes) necessary to the trade. Illustrated with reproductions and color photos and featuring a superficial recounting of the Hanssen spy case in graphic-story style, the busy book includes unnecessary summaries at the end of each chapter. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. In Senses, a brief, able text and color illustrations reveal how the brain, in conjunction with the eyes, ears, nose, and other sensory organs, allows humans and animals to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Disguises features some fascinating photos of animal camouflage, but it offers very little in the way of scientific explanation. Both books contain some simplistic activities. Ind. Review covers these Kingfisher Young Knowledge titles: Senses and Animal Disguises.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. A concise, fact-filled text introduces extra-large animals, ranging from extinct dinosaur species to modern-day mammals, birds, and insects. The clear color photos are appealing, although the warning that most of these animals are "extremely dangerous" and shouldn't be approached seems at odds with some of the photos, as of a "friendly wrestling match" between a Kodiak bear and a human. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Kingfisher Knowledge series. Double-page spreads introduce viruses, bacteria, "mini animals" (e.g., Hydra and dust mites), and other microorganisms and explain how these unseen entities affect humanity in both harmful and helpful ways. The accompanying photographic enlargements (magnification scale is listed for each image) are fascinating. Each chapter ends with an unnecessary summary highlighting key points that were made in the text one or two pages earlier. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. In Senses, a brief, able text and color illustrations reveal how the brain, in conjunction with the eyes, ears, nose, and other sensory organs, allows humans and animals to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Disguises features some fascinating photos of animal camouflage, but it offers very little in the way of scientific explanation. Both books contain some simplistic activities. Ind. Review covers these Kingfisher Young Knowledge titles: Senses and Animal Disguises.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. On double-page spreads, Pellant covers a range of earth science topics, including basic rock types, weathering, and a variety of fossils. The photos include both large-scale landforms and close-ups of rock and fossil samples. The bottom of each page contains definitions of vocabulary words, but many are difficult to read as the layout superimposes text over photos. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Kingfisher Young Knowledge series. Organized by habitat or type of dwelling (colony, shell), this book provides snippets of information on the homes of bats, termites, frogs, and other animals. Each busy double-page spread includes cropped close-up photos and a concise text. Ideas for activities, such as making a nest and a hamster playpen, are appended. Ind.

Reviewer: Karyn Ginsburg