Canals Are Water Roads

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Minimal text and full color pictures present young readers with information about major canals all around the world. Hill tells us that the Panama Canal opened in 1914 but that canals in Europe are hundreds of years older. Did you know that George Washington was one of the planners of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal? At the end of the formal text, a photo index provides additional information about each picture. Part of the "Building Block Books" series that includes Dams Give Us Power, Towers Reach High, and Bridges Connect this book will make a nice addition to the classroom.

Children's Literature - Susan Fournier

Part of a series entitled "Building Block Books," each book introduces the reader to a specific subject and to how it relates to our lives. This book contains clear and engaging photographs of canals from different parts of the world. There is even a photo index, in the back of the book, which goes into more detail about the subject and the place where the photo was taken. Many children will never have an opportunity to see many (if any) of these sights in person. These books are a wonderful way to provide exposure to these sights. In Canals Are Water Roads, the concept of a canal and its many functions are explained. Many examples are given as well as what each canal is used for. The Panama Canal, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, as well as many others are included in the book. Employing many and aiding in water travel, canals are an important part of our world. Other titles include Towers Reach High, Dams Give Us Power, Bridges Connect, Roads Take Us Home, Farms Feed the World, and Parks Are to Share.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2Illustrated with attractive, colorful photographs, these books offer short, simple introductions to their respective subjects. The brief texts (two or three sentences per page) explain the specific functions of each type of structure mentioned. Canals presents a nice array of examples ranging from the canals of Venice to the Erie Canal and offers a simple yet clear explanation of how locks work by using an analogy of toys that float in a bathtub or a wading pool. Towers is the least successful of the three, for the word is never defined or explained, and examples include church steeples, a silo, a windmill, and the Washington Monument. Organization is unfocused, and some of the text is irrelevant ("The cows eat after they are milked"). On one occasion, pictures and text don't agree, and the questions are condescending. All three titles have three-page photo indexes that give a few additional facts about the canals, dams, or towers depicted. The bright, informative photos are the strength of these series entries.Katherine Borchert, Arlington Central Library, VA