UTTERLY AMAZING EARTH

An interactive introduction to our home planet and the forces that shape it.

With the help of a pop-up, a pull tab, and several variously sized flaps, young students of geology can make a volcano erupt dramatically, see both the rock and water cycles in action, and view the effects of tides, earthquakes, and continental drift. The full but not overcrowded pages also offer quick looks at related topics ranging from ores and gems to auroras, weather, and seasons. A few simplistic assertions aside (“The North Pole is found on top of the Earth”; the Dead Sea “is so salty you can float on it!”), Jerram’s comments and captions enrich the mix of photos and painted images with concise explanations, light doses of statistics, and like nourishing infobites. A recurrent “Do Try This at Home” feature offers a set of very simple demonstrations and activities.

Barely scratches the surface (of the topic, anyway) but covers a lot of territory in its formulaic way.