FULL SPEED AHEAD!

This retro-designed information book has a simple intention: to compare things that go at different speeds.

The left-hand page of each spread displays a speed in large type, and on each facing page, animals and vehicles that travel at that speed are illustrated. The speeds go up incrementally from 0.3 kph (sea horse and Galápagos tortoise) to 100,000 kph (shooting star). (English conversions are provided in smaller type.) The “wow” factor is predictably large, and animals often come off as well or better than machines; the humble swift can fly at 200 kph, the same speed as an MD500 helicopter, and a frigate bird can fly as fast as a Formula 1 race car (350 kph). Readers hungry for more than the bare-bones information offered in the spreads can consult the backmatter, which comprises technical descriptions of each vehicle or animal described. There are many nifty factoids that kids will savor, such as the fact that the Earth spins at a mind-blowing average speed of 1,670 kph! The book's French origins are evident; along with the metric units, some vehicles may be unfamiliar to American readers. Nevertheless, the strong, bright graphics and clean lines make the information readily accessible and easy for young children to grasp.

Despite its limited scope, both a relatively useful reference and a gee-whiz compendium of cool speed facts.