School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-- Four more subject-surveys, in a handsome picture series, that will catch youthful imaginations with their wide-ranging selections of fascinating items, beautifully photographed. Topics are developed in two- to four-page groupings, with cross-references and an index--and browsers will find themselves caught and drawn into the flow. Music traces families of instruments and discusses the physics of sound with diagrams and cut-aways. From a 40,000-year-old bone whistle to components of an electric guitar, there are wonderful photos of ancient harps, bagpipes, pianos, and oriental instruments. Shell prods children to think about cases, whether egg, husk, or skull, but deals mostly with mollusks, urchins, and crustaceans. Early Humans shows early human fossils, and pictures selective topics (e.g., art, magic, tools, writing) for the human family up through the Iron Age. Examples come from Africa, Europe, the Americas, early China, the Near East, and Australia. Mammal explores that class in terms of its attributes, evolution, and variety of adapted forms. Photos of the bones of a seal's flipper, an elephant's foot, a panda's jaw, and a close-up of a whale's baleen are sure to appeal to children. While scale is infrequently given, relative sizes of objects are usually clear. A good source for often-asked-for and hard-to-find illustrations, this series could find a place in any library. --Ruth M. McConnell, San Antonio Pub . Lib . (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4-9. The acclaimed Eyewitness series continues to be a top-notch value for the price; the splendid illustrations are a tour de force. The formats are similarly designed: each volume begins with a dramatically composed title page on which a selection of labeled objects is intriguingly arranged, followed by a thorough table of contents. The topical double-page spreads display an array of full-color photographs, pen-and-ink sketches, and explanatory text. In Music, Ardley introduces types of musical instruments--winds (woodwind and brass), string, and percussion--in a scintillating blend that spans ancient to modern. Interesting historical asides and highlights about famous musicians contrast with the precisely labeled parts of the numerous illustrated instruments. Merriman's Early Humans describes such prehistoric people as Homo habilis (the toolmakers), Ice Age hunters, and Bronze Age warriors. Pictures of artifacts reflecting every aspect of prehistoric life make this an outstanding curriculum supplement. Both titles hold wide appeal for research and browsing. --Phillis Wilson
