So You Want to Be an Explorer?

Some picture books, however well read, need to have the book to look at simultaneously. This is one of them. The topic is interesting; the chapters, short, light, and informative--intended to invite inquiry--and Christina Moore gives her usual clear, steady reading. But there's so much information it's hard to stay focused without the book to look at. Moore does her best to keep the book moving forward, but the cost is a narration without much expression. Further, the humor of the illustrations--one of the best aspects of St. George's work--is lost. The overall effect is rushed and the book, lifeless. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine