The World in Infographics: Planet Earth

Planet Earth presents facts about Earth's physical aspects - ecosystems, geographic features, plate tectonics, water cycle - through infographics!

The infographics featured in the book are brightly coloured and eye-catching. This definitely influenced my decision to borrow it. Each topic is given a spread over two pages. There is a main infographic taking up the bulk of the spread and smaller infographics or paragraphs of text in the remaining space. These make it quite exciting to read - it gives one the feeling that there's just so much to know about each topic!

The language used is simple but there are quite a number of difficult terms used, such as "transform boundary". It is therefore more suitable for older children. There is a glossary of terms included at the end of the book to help with understanding. An index and a list of useful websites for further reading are also included. Since infographics do not present information in a conventional manner, the index is especially helpful in pinpointing where certain facts or topics appear.

Overall, this is a nice introduction to our home planet. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Editor: Jon Richards

Designer: Ed Simkins
Part of the World in Infographics series

First published in 2012 by Wayland

Age range: 8 to 12 years old

NA's rating: 4/5

Reticulated Python: The World's Longest Snake

Reticulated Python shares interesting facts about the habitat, distribution, behaviour and life cycle of reticulated pythons. It includes colour photographs and illustrations of reticulated pythons exhibiting various behaviours and in their natural habitat.

The information is presented in bite-sized pieces and is written in easy-to-understand language. I really appreciated the neutral tone used in the book; the snakes are not vilified. The photographs and illustrations are used to effectively illustrate and explain the facts that are presented. In addition to the main topics discussed, there are interesting related facts highlighted. For example, under the main topic of how pythons find food, the heat-sensing pits located above the python's lips are highlighted. In addition to facts on the reticulated python, there is also a section that features other long snakes such as the green anaconda. This will help children who love snakes find out what other species of snake they can read up on next. 

A glossary of terms, index and list of resources for further reading are included at the end of the book. The glossary is useful in explaining unfamiliar terms and the index is useful in locating specific topics discussed in the book. The list of resources for further reading would be useful to children who would like to read and learn more on reticulated pythons.

Overall, this is a good primer on reticulated pythons. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.


Author: Meish Goldish
Part of the More Supersized! series
Published in 2010 by Bearport Publishing Company, Inc.

Age range: 5 to 10 years old

NA's rating: 4/5

Komodo Dragons

Komodo Dragons shares interesting facts about the appearance, habitat, distribution, behaviour, and life cycle of the komodo dragon. It is full of colour photographs of komodo dragons in their natural habitat or displaying certain behaviours.

The information is presented in bite-sized pieces and is written in a style that is accessible and easy to understand. I appreciated the neutral tone used in the book; the komodo dragons are not vilified. The photographs are used very effectively to enhance understanding of the facts presented. A mini-glossary explaining difficult terms and words is included at the bottom of the pages where they are used. There is also an index and a list of recommended books and websites for further reading included at the end of the book. These are useful for children who are doing research for projects or those who are just interested to find out more.

Older children might find the language too simple and the explanations too brief, so this would be more suitable for younger children. But overall, it is a good primer on komodo dragons.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Author: Valerie Bodden
Part of the Amazing Animals series
Published in 2013 by Creative Education

Age range: 5 to 10 years old

NA's rating: 4/5