(4) K-3 I Wonder Why series. Simple text in question-and-answer format presents an introduction to the title animals, from their points and traits to equipment and utility throughout history. The facts are entirely random and light on real science ("Where do horses play games?"), but they could stimulate curiosity about the topic. The many illustrations on busy pages include a combination of realistic-looking drawings and humorous cartoons. Ind.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) K-3 I Wonder Why series. Thirty-one questions about topics from pine needles to aye-ayes afford some organization to this rather random collection of information about the six major kinds of forests. Colorful illustrations include a few large-scale paintings, numerous detailed ones, and cartoons. The information, though accurate, serves more to pique curiosity than to promote sequenced understanding. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Excavating the Past series. This welcome new series highlights the work of archaeologists in deciphering the lives of people through the artifacts they left behind. Religion, the arts, daily life, and history are covered in most volumes. The formats tend to be cluttered, and each spread's "Did you know?" tag line is superfluous, but the numerous photos of artifacts are often fascinating. Reading list, timelines. Glos., ind. Review covers these Excavating the Past titles: The Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, The Viking World, Ancient Rome, and The Aztec Empire.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 I Wonder Why series. Questions ranging from "how often do horses need to eat?" to "who sits in a sulky?" are answered in brief, breezy, large-font paragraphs that cover the usual range of introductory horse material. Pithy asides add more information. The open format is illustrated with both silly cartoons and realistic (though ill-proportioned) color drawings. Ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Twentieth Century Design series. Eye-catching volumes demonstrate how economics, technology, and changing social mores affected art, advertising, appliances, fashion, vehicles, and architecture through the past century. The layout is somewhat crowded, and it's not always clear that some of the designs featured in the color photos were not commonly used (i.e., inflatable fruit bowls in The Nineties). These are best for browsing. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Twentieth Century Design series. Eye-catching volumes demonstrate how economics, technology, and changing social mores affected art, advertising, appliances, fashion, vehicles, and architecture through the past century. The layout is somewhat crowded, and it's not always clear that some of the designs featured in the color photos were not commonly used (i.e., inflatable fruit bowls in The Nineties). These are best for browsing. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Twentieth Century Design series. Eye-catching volumes demonstrate how economics, technology, and changing social mores affected art, advertising, appliances, fashion, vehicles, and architecture through the past century. The layout is somewhat crowded, and it's not always clear that some of the designs featured in the color photos were not commonly used (i.e., inflatable fruit bowls in The Nineties). These are best for browsing. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Crowded double-page spreads contain a potpourri of information about human body systems, skin, senses, conception and pregnancy, the aging process, etc. The combination of photographs, illustrations, cartoons, and photomicrographs makes this oversized book primarily a visual experience and better for browsing than reading. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges