The Changing Climate of Asia

Gr 4–7—Although presenting the influence of climate change on an entire continent in 48 pages would seem a daunting enough goal, these volumes attempt to cover so much more that they succeed at little. Starting with the breakup of Pangaea and the continuing movements of tectonic plates that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Kummer moves to presentations of major landforms such as mountain ranges and rivers. Besides discussing factors such as fossil fuel use and deforestation that contribute to climate change, she also covers topics such as water pollution, endangered cultures, and the need for better sanitation and education. She relates some of the one-page "field trip explorations," such as Costa Rica's Cloud Forest, to climate change. Other entries, such as Grand Canyon National Park, stress highlights for visitors. In addition to color photos, each book contains several maps plus related questions for students to practice "mapping skills." Unfortunately, inadequate borders and missing labels in the Asia volume make the exercises impossible to complete, another reason to skip these selections.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato