Natural Wonders of the World

Gr 9 Up—In what amounts to a massive expansion of 2007's Wonders of the Natural World, this large-format outing not only profiles hundreds of scenic glories but also digs beneath the surfaces of many to show in diagrammatic form the geological (or other) processes that created, or are creating, each one. Presented continent by continent, with additional chapters on the oceans and "Extreme Weather," the entries are grouped mostly in general categories such as "Mountains and Volcanoes." The centerpieces of each are dramatically angled, fantastically sharp, drop-dead gorgeous photos and graphically rendered maps or cutaway views. Dense assemblages of smaller images of landforms or wildlife, detailed explanatory captions, and precise descriptions surround these graphics. Hundreds of additional sites earn shorter mentions in a 60-page closing directory. In keeping with the theme, human figures or signs of habitation are vanishingly rare and nearly always tiny, imparting a sense of grand scale to the wonders on display.