Planet Earth

October 15, 2009
Grades 5-8 These two new entries in the One Million Things series are a couple hundred pages (and, one assumes, a few things) short of the One Million Things: A Visual Encyclopedia (2008) that instigated the series, but they maintain the flashy cover and familiar DK interior design. The series name is a bit of a head-scratcher, as there simply isnt one million of anything in either book, but whos counting? Planet Earth opens in the deep recesses of our galaxy before zooming in to investigate the amazing features teeming on our little speck of a planet. The book is subdivided into five main sections (Planet Earth, Rocks and Minerals, Water and Weather, Life Zones, and Human Influence), and there isnt a whole lot the volume doesnt at least touch on. The artwork is a balanced mix of stunning photography, effective illustrations, and somewhat depth-challenged Photoshop jobs. An eye-catching catchall on the natural world, this series is great browsing material, packed full of well-articulated information.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)