UFOs and Aliens

Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami

Part of the publisher's series, "The Unexplained," this reference book is rich in the images and lore of UFOlogy. In introductory material the author tells of his own interest in aliens and UFOs, dating back to the time a friend in his hometown saw a saucer-shaped object hovering by her window. We learn of historical records as far back as 1500 BC that may refer to UFOs, and of accounts among far-flung peoples of gods arriving from space. From crop circles to the SETI project they're all in here, including some of the more notable hoaxes. An informative and thought-provoking compilation of incidents, theories and speculation on a fascinating theme. Index included.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6Photographs and artwork are paired with captions and short paragraphs to create two irresistible packages. Mysteries of the Universe introduces natural oddities such as Uluru (Ayers Rock), rains of fish, and ball lightning. Man-made puzzles, including the Sphinx and Costa Rican stone spheres, join weeping religious statues and disappearing ships and planes. A few of the mysteries are explained scientifically, but most are just presented as baffling wonders. Some of the same oddities are examined in detail in Seymour Simon's Strange Mysteries from Around the World (Morrow, 1997). UFOs is equally entertaining, yet more realistic. While many photos familiar to UFO fans are part of this presentation, they are integrated with those of famous and lesser-known hoaxes. Actual photographs of ball lightning and of mysterious "spooklights" near Marfa, Texas, are among the illustrations unique to this volume. As colorful and comprehensive as Bob Rickard's UFOs (Watts, 1980; o.p.) yet less helpful for further investigation than Carole Marsh's Unidentified Flying Objects and Extraterrestrial Life (21st Century Bks., 1996) and Elaine Landau's UFOs (Millbrook, 1995), this title serves as an exciting introduction to a dynamic field. Some topics such as crop circles, Stonehenge, and Easter Island statues are included in both of Wilson's works. Flashy and tantalizing, these two volumes are more amusing than informative.Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY