Reviews+

This series focuses on kid-friendly topics. Each book attempts to introduce complex subjects--e.g., Home touches on slums and refugee camps--but the few brief sentences fall short. Color photos are well chosen, but the busy layouts are difficult to decipher, as are small world maps. With adult guidance, these books could prove useful for reports. There are four other spring 2015 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following My World Your World titles: A Place to Call Home, Celebrations and Special Days, The Clothes We Wear, and Time to Play.

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?.

Introducing the mythical creature in an autobiographical format, this volume attempts to answer questions about Bigfoot--including "How old am I?" and "Do I really exist?"--by referencing beliefs and theories from a variety of different cultures. The setup is hokey and the content slim, but kids will learn basic Sasquatch lore. The illustrations are mildly amusing. Reading list. Glos., ind.

This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. Choppy presentation of facts about wildly different parts of North America mar this installment. Brief chapters provide information on countries and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.