(2) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Giovana Medeiros. In concise, straightforward prose, DeCristofano introduces readers to solar power: where it comes from and how it's harnessed, converted into energy, and used. Colorful digital illustrations depict a diverse cast of characters using solar energy. Well-placed questions ("What happens when it rains? Or when clouds block the Sun?") involve readers in the narrative. Appended with an experiment and a pictorial diagram showing uses for solar energy. Glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Violet Lemay. This effective introduction to urban planning and engineering focuses on connecting children's everyday experiences--such as water in the faucet and lights that come on with the flip of a switch--to the systems that make them possible. The cheerful illustrations portray city life as appealing and orderly. An appended activity demonstrates the principals of water treatment. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Maddie Frost. A legendary 1888 blizzard illustrates the power of winter storms and sets the context for explanations about atmospheric conditions that cause extreme weather as well as the physical science that leads to large amounts of precipitation and high winds. Friendly illustrations of families and animals in the snow are mainly decorative, though a few additional diagrams illustrate the science. Winter-weather journaling tips are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Mary Ann Fraser. Branley's classic explanation of water and clouds in the atmosphere receives new, gentle illustrations of children and animals experiencing water vapor and the weather it produces in their idyllic neighborhood. The inviting text and images belie the sophistication of concepts such as evaporation and condensation, which are covered masterfully at a level appropriate for beginning scientific thinkers. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by André Ceolin. Stewart presents a basic definition of droughts and then clearly explains the gradual effects of droughts on plant and animal life. The efforts of scientists to understand their causes--and of citizens in drought-prone areas to conserve water--are also discussed. Evocative illustrations depict arid landscapes and friendly scientists and families acting responsibly in low-water conditions. Activities and conservation tips are appended. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Julius Csotonyi. Readers familiar with T. rex are introduced to other members of the tyrannsaurids family, including Qianzhousaurus, or Pinocchio rex, a long-snouted dinosaur recently identified by paleontolgist co-author Brusatte. Each is portrayed on an overly busy layout that includes a main illustration of the dinosaur in its habitat, framed by a field guide–like "fact file" box, timeline, and sidebar quote from "Dr. Steve." Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Kasia Nowowiejska. Zoehfeld introduces the physics behind telephones, both historic wire-connected and current cellular versions, at a level that is appropriate for the targeted young audience. The text is accompanied by cartoonlike illustrations of children and historical figures inventing and using phones. A build-your-own string telephone activity is elevated by its focus on the engineering practices of revising and retesting the original design. Timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Taia Morley. DeCristofano introduces the concept that the sun and the moon are not just objects in our sky but bodies in the solar system. The account jumps from topic to topic, covering just the basics of planetary science and some of the highlights of space exploration. The colorful illustrations imagine children as astronauts. Several activities of variable quality are included. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford. Kenah introduces the causes of flooding, categories of flooding, safety precautions, and the ways flooding can be beneficial to agriculture. To explain the scientific concepts, she uses bolded keywords to anchor short, simple definitions. Additional interesting facts are included in sidebars. Schimler-Safford's illustrations use warm, cheery tones and portray people calmly and safely avoiding harm. The book concludes with two activities. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Anna Chernyshova. Pfeffer introduces the topic of sound with a host of sound words and vocalizations, then explains the creation of sound through vibration and hearing. Topics also include animal echolocation, sonar, and music, as well as guidelines for readers to make their own sound observations. This edition's new illustrations portray friendly animals and a multiethnic cast of smiling children producing and listening to sounds. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. A trip down through the ocean's zones to a geothermal vent is imagined in a second-person narrative rich in scientific description. The you-are-there text allows readers to imagine themselves observing marine life and the pressures, temperatures, and light levels at each layer. The cool, deep-ocean-hued illustrations portray two children in a submersible amidst a host of named organisms. Experiment appended. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Taia Morley. After explaining how hurricanes form, this volume explores the role of scientists tracking hurricanes and gives a toned-down description of conditions when a hurricane makes landfall. Although a few of the simplifications may cause confusion, the clear layout; dynamic, full-bleed, digitally enhanced watercolor illustrations; and plain, reassuring language will help readers understand this dramatic type of weather. Activities appended. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Mike Lowery. Beginning with real-life examples, this book illustrates and explains the lever, wheel-and-axle, pulley, ramp, wedge, and screw. Both the order and the language are clear, but what sets this book apart is the artwork: bright, spare cartoons and line drawings have just enough detail and humor to simultaneously clarify and engage readers. A single experiment is included. Glos.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Bob Barner. Although this is a straightforward book of information, it's built around an engaging narrative that introduces the other five shark senses, as well as the headline sixth one, electroreception. Almost every page features a different shark species illustrated in paper collage and pastels that suggest the underwater environment well (even if they lack detail). The afterword has additional information. Websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(2) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. This series entry takes readers on a tour through the rainforest, describing the special features of the area. Unfamiliar vocabulary is presented in bold-face type, defined, and repeated in the text. Cheerful mixed-media illustrations show the visiting children climbing trees (with ropes and clamps), journaling, and exploring the ecosystem. A list of rainforest exhibits to visit is appended, as are directions for making a rainforest terrarium.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(2) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. This strong series entry introduces youngsters to light: where it comes from, how fast it travels, and how it enables us to see. The prose is generally lively, but Pfeffer is all business when it comes to scientific explanations. Lighthearted paintings, outlined in pen and ink, add humor but never distract from the text. Three simple experiments are appended.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. A strong conservation message permeates this examination of garbage and the ways in which we get rid of it, from landfills and incinerators to recycling plants and composting. Ward includes practical steps young readers can take to reduce trash production. The cartoonlike illustrations portray friendly adults and children happily taking care of their waste.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Lucia Washburn. After a brief introduction, the book concentrates on the period from 330 million years ago to 65 million years ago, from the appearance of amniotes through the myriad dinosaur species that thrived in the Mesozoic Era. Zoehfeld is remarkably precise with language, providing outstanding explanations of key concepts. Washburn's illustrations include helpful anatomical details and imagined portrayals of dinosaurs in verdant habitats. Timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Jason Chin. Life in the Arctic is seen through the eyes of a cub, with attention to the care provided by its mother as it grows. The friendly narrative is strictly factual and provides solid information; the illustrations incorporate a polar bear scientist, and the wild bears verge on being anthropomorphized. An author's note about global warming is appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Pfeffer takes readers to the Great Barrier Reef to explain the science of coral reefs and the coral life cycle. In just a few sentences per page, she covers such topics as diurnal and nocturnal inhabitants in addition to symbiotic and predator-prey relationships. Jenkins's tropical-hued cut-paper illustrations alternate between a habitat teeming with life and close-ups of individual specimens. Additional facts are appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009