Description:
Grade 3-5-These overreaching social studies/science curriculum guided books attempt to examine various biomes worldwide. However, the Gobi Desert and Death Valley are vastly different, with greatly diverse plant and animal populations. Also, the books are too generalized and poorly organized. The photos are generic and uninformatively captioned; maps are often rudimentary. The one showing the Serengeti National Park provides a key indicating that there are only three (unnamed) bodies of water in all of Africa, and there are no nation-state or geopolitical names except Tanzania; the rest of the map is simply titled "Africa." Glossaries are hit or miss: "adapt" is defined in one text, and highlighted, but not in another, and in-text definitions confuse the flow. Discussions of the work of three or four scientists per volume are one of the organizing principles, but they are not successful due to lackluster reporting. There are desultory Web sites and bibliographies, and several places to write for further information.
Dona Ratterree, The Parkside School, New York City.
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