Gr 1–3—Overlap and duplication among titles mar this set.
What's Soil Made Of??? provides an overview of organic components, rock weathering, animals living in soil, and different types.
Animals focuses on excretion and decomposing bodies and mentions how earthworms and larger animals loosen soil.
Plants mentions vegetation that grows without soil but concentrates on how most receive nutrients through roots.
Is All Soil the Same?? notes variations such as clay, volcanic soil, and peat.
Dirt or Soil focuses on a distinction in terminology that could be explained in a couple of sentences. Curiously, none of these offerings includes basic terminology such as
topsoil or
humus. There are many photos here, some of which appear in more than one volume, and the selections all conclude with an activity suggestion. Stand-alone options such as Steve Tomecek's Dirt (National Geographic, 2007) cover most of the material spread through this series.
VERDICT Collections in need of more resources about soil may want to add What's Soil Made Of? but won't need to invest in the entire series.
In a series that explores soil science, these accessible volumes explain how organic and inorganic substances enrich soil, how animal behavior contributes to its composition, and the differences between dirt and soil (e.g., plants can't grow in dirt). Well-labeled close-up photos and diagrams enhance the accessible texts. A "Science Lab" section at the end of each book contains a related soil experiment. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Down & Dirty: The Secrets of Soil titles: Dirt or Soil, How Do Animals Help Make Soil, and What's Soil Made Of?.
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