Apple Trees and the Seasons

November 1, 2011

K-Gr 3-Designated as level K-1, 1-2, or 2-3, each of these slender volumes introduces a science concept by pairing sharp, well-chosen color photos with brief explanatory texts. Every title comes with review questions and quick comprehension/extension exercises. Safety Rules and Science Tools are particular standouts for creating starting points for any level of scientific enquiry. Conversely, Mouse is really an introduction to the components of a PC work station that is unlikely to teach even kindergarteners anything that they don't already know, and in some titles the concepts are oversimplified. For example, Living or Nonliving? declares, "A book cannot move on its own. It must be nonliving," and What Is It Made of? includes an unlikely challenge to identify all the materials in a complex playground structure from a photo.

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