April 1, 2016
PreS-Gr 1-The focus is on transport in these reasonably accurate, highly simplified travelogues. Illustrated with big, bright color photos, Electricity follows the juice from a (nuclear) power plant to a light bulb, and Food tracks the ingredients in a bowl of breakfast cereal. Smaller inset photos supply bits of additional detail, and along with short resource lists and glossaries, each volume ends with two or three Common Core-linked study questions such as "What might happen if there were no plumbers?" Most titles end by urging readers to cut down on consumption, but disappointingly fail to mention why that would be a good idea. Still, these books will leave younger readers more aware of the infrastructures that support their daily routines while serving to kick off discussions about recycling and environmental issues. VERDICT Will be popular with curious newly independent readers.
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