WILD, WET AND WINDY

Call them hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, or Willy-Willies, these forceful storms dramatically open the latest entry in the SuperSmarts series. Weather is nothing new in children's nonfiction, but by touching on all things wet, windy, and wild, Llewellyn (Some Snakes Spit Poison, p. 876, etc.) explains the high points of wind, rain, fog, sandstorms, twisters, and avalanches in an easy- to-follow, step-by-step layout. Readers can jump in and out of each two-page topical spread (e.g., ``Misty and Murky'' and ``Flash, Bang, Crash''), while attractive anecdotal sidebars delve into the specifics. The colorful design capitalizes on readers' natural fascination with the awesome power of weather phenomena, beginning with the graphic cover illustration that shows a truck, metal barrels, and a tin roof being sucked into a tornado. The book explores global weather patterns and water cycles, from monsoons in India to the dust storms of North Africa. A thoughtful layout makes the information accessible both to an easy-reader audience and Eyewitness series enthusiasts. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)