Let's Go Rock Collecting

August 1, 1997
PreS-Gr 3-More than just the title has been changed in this updated edition of Gans's Rock Collecting (Crowell, 1984). The topics are the same-basic rock formation; the characteristics of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks; the uses of rocks in the past (Roman roads, Egyptian pyramids) and the present (cement); and, finally, a bit about rock collecting. The excellent diagrams, full-color photographs of specimens, and minor textual changes clarify the concepts (for example, Mohs' scale of hardness) and extend the presentation. Gans barely introduces collecting rocks in the field and organizing and storing them, but the pair of youngsters featured in Keller's brightly colored illustrations certainly convey the joys of being a rock hound.-Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA

May 15, 1997
Gr. 2^-4, younger for use with adults. Kids will immediately be caught by the idea that, "the oldest things you can collect are rocks." This simple geology book goes on to discuss the formation, hardness, types, and uses of rock. The coverage is cursory, yet it is sufficiently engaging to hold the interest of a young audience. Keller's illustrations, line drawings with watercolor washes, work well in showing the cross-sections of earth and volcanoes. Two children appear in many of the scenes, exploring a Roman road, finding fossils, mixing cement, and collecting rocks to store in boxes and egg cartons. A few pages feature photographs, allowing more realistic views of various rock types. Another good introductory book from the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out series. ((Reviewed May 15, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)