RIVERS AND LAKES

Despite the many full-color photographs and clean white spaces, this title in the Habitats series introduces so many topics and is so full of specialized vocabulary and odd facts that most readers will be better served by a general encyclopedia article, where the facts are given a framework for understanding. Cumming (Russia, 1994, not reviewed, etc.) discusses the hydrological cycle, river routes, types of lakes, floods, pollution, dams, use of water in daily life, farming, industry, and transportation, and more. In addition, side boxes include discussions of odd creatures: Brazilian weed-eating beetles, flamingos feeding on red algae, the freshwater Baikal seal, etc. Some words are defined in the text but many—mouth, estuary, etc.—do not appear in the glossary. Of dubious value. (maps, diagrams, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)