Earth's Natural Wonders

Gr 5 Up—These beautifully filmed documentaries look at some of the most extraordinary places on the planet and the people and animals who live there. The "Extreme Wonders" episode goes from the summit of Mount Everest to the cliffs at the Grand Canyon, from volcano-warmed frozen lakes in Russia to Tanzanian farms near Mount Kilimanjaro. "Wonders of Water" takes viewers from the edge of Victoria Falls to the enormous Camargue salt marsh in France, from Amazon forests to Cenderawasih Bay in Indonesia. "Living Wonders" highlights mangrove swamps in Bangladesh, an enormous cave in Borneo, the grassy plains of the Great Eurasian Steppe, and the Sateré-Mawé tribe in the Amazon rain forest. Each program is about 50 minutes long. The information presented is an overview, and the cinematography is stunning, but viewers may want more time with some of the subject matter. How did the Masai farmer think up the clever chili bombs made with condoms used to frighten elephants away from his crops? Who was the first person to fish at the very edge of Victoria Falls? Are the Sateré-Mawé boys really all right after undergoing a ritual in which they are stung by hundreds of bullet ants to help build their immunity?