Earthquakes (Natural disasters) - Hardcover

Jane Walker was born 13th April 1956 and has written many books for children on nature and science.

Grade 6-9-- Two oversized disappointments. Each slim book is arranged in double-page topical treatments with labeled illustrations and their extensive captions filling two-thirds of most spreads. In general, the presentations are choppy and confusing. The texts consist of loosely related, poorly organized facts and some inaccurate and misleading information. Oversimplified and generalized statements are mixed with sophisticated concepts. It is sometimes difficult to determine which illustrations go with which captions or the order in which they should be perused. Some discussions are superficial, while others seem padded to accommodate the format. Glossary entries are incomplete, and there are errors in the index. Simon's Earthquakes (Morrow, 1991) offers a clearer overview of this natural disaster. Volcano and Earthquake in the ``Eyewitness Books'' series (Knopf, 1992) and Earthquakes and Volcanoes in the ``Repairing the Damage'' series (Macmillan, 1992) both use a similar format more effectively and offer more information.
- Carolyn Angus, Claremont Graduate School, CA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.