A fine compendium of curious events that will transpire over periods of time as measured in multiples of three. In the next three seconds, Britons will eat 3,600 potatoes, Fijians will pick 38 coconuts, three teddy bears will be given as gifts. In three minutes: People on Earth will take six railcars of aspirin, 176 mobile phones will be purchased, fishermen will kill more than 25 wild porpoises or dolphins. In the next three million years: The space probe Voyager 2 will leave the Milky Way. Every illustrated tidbit can serve as a starting point for discussion—a guide to making predictions and a handy conversion table are included—and the book is sensitive to environmental concerns, particularly consumption and waste. This is a British import, so there is an understandable emphasis on UK and European notions, but Morgan and the Joseys include global references as well. There is plenty of wishful thinking afoot as the spans of time become greater: In the next three centuries, ``millions of families will choose to enter wilderness reserves and enjoy the easy-going Stone Age nomad's lifestyle,'' and in the next three decades, ``pairs of very rare white-tailed eagles will try to nest 240 times in the British Isles.'' Then again, they may be extinct. (Picture book. 8-12) Read full book review >