Neptune

School Library Journal

Gr 1-2-Aimed at emergent readers, each of these elementary titles includes a seven-word glossary, a few facts presented in a handful of brief sentences, and an undifferentiated mix of colorful graphic images and single or composite space photos. Despite some boilerplate and visual filler, the three take different general tacks. Earth covers our planet's internal and surface structures, as well as "plates"; Neptune is largely about the discovery of "the first planet found using math"; and Venus, the skimpiest of the trio, includes several eye-opening comparisons between that planet and ours, but culminates in a weak try at humor: on Earth, "You can fly a kite. You can swim in the ocean, and you can be happy you do not live on Venus!" Neptune and Earth make serviceable additions, at least for well-budgeted collections; Venus doesn't measure up to Dennis Brindell Fradin's equivalent "True Book" title (Children's Press, 1993; o.p.).-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.