Editorial Review
Booklist Review of Earth Basics
The Earth’s Basics series, indeed, offers very basic introductions to important substances on Earth. To be readable for beginning readers, the books use very short sentences set in a large font, present-tense naration, and only a small amount of text on each page.
Although the text is simple, it includes proper science vocabulary for key substances and concepts, and many of these terms are included in the title’s picture glossary. In addition to defining their featured topics, the books cover how humans use these natural resources. Minerals discusses our need to eat food that contains minerals, such as calcium and iron. Rocks ex- plains that these formations are used as a building material. Soil focuses on the importance of this substance for growing food. Water presents the myriad uses of this liquid, whether for drinking, cooking, washing, or swimming.
A bright, appropriate stock photo-some of which are labeled covers almost every page, and simple diagrams are occasion- ally employed, as well. These books are clearly intended as models of educational nonfiction. The front matter includes ""Ideas for Parents and Teachers,"" and despite their brevity, the books feature standard nonfiction elements such as a table of contents and an index. Earth science at its simplest for the very young. —Miriam Aronin
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—Miriam Aronin