This atlas is but a small step forward from the principal-ports geography of earlier efforts, yet still supplies nuts-and-bolts coverage. Richards sets the stage with a cosmological/geological backdrop—his attempt at explaining the origin of the solar system is ludicrously brisk, although the foray into plate tectonics is more gratifying—then proceeds to the distribution of great waterways, mountain ranges, forest systems, grasslands, and deserts. Next are maps of political and physiographic boundaries, sadly lacking in color and verve, but conveying a sense of place through the iconographic artwork, national flags, and textual highlights. Richards wraps up the book with an abbreviated gazetteer—population, acreage, principal exports—that has little impact. The bare-bones approach won't inspire researchers; there is plenty of information in these pages, but it has not been knit into an effective whole. (maps, diagrams, charts, index) (Nonfiction. 8- 10)
Pub Date: July 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-7613-0588-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Copper Beech/Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997
An introduction, with softly colored drawings that—while large and colorful—are sometimes fuzzy. The brief text discusses anatomy, habitat, and how snakes move, feed, and raise their young. Constrictors and poisonous snakes, as well as more common garden varieties, are touched on; the reader is advised that most snakes eat harmful insects and rodents. A world map of poisonous snakes is of limited use: according to the color key, one has an ``average'' chance of meeting a poisonous snake throughout the central portion of South America. Concludes with a brief page of facts, but there are no specialized terms or scientific names. Attractive, but not essential. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-590-44935-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1992
Industrious Tsugele shocks her tradition-minded parents by announcing that she won't marry any man who isn't as reliable as her trusty besom. After rejecting two suitors, she strikes out on her own and finds a job in a nearby town. One morning her broom disappears; hunting for it, she meets an extremely thin, hard-working man with kind eyes and a stiff shock of golden hair. It's love at first sight. His name? Broom, of course. Tsugele accepts the miracle uncritically; readers may find the ending rather sudden, but will certainly pick up on Tsugele's happy independence. As usual, the simple gestures and comically exaggerated expressions Zimmer gives his figures closely reflect the story's turns while broadening the humor; woven woodcut borders around each scene, plus the characters' peasant dress, give this original tale a traditional air. (Picture book. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 30, 1993
ISBN: 0-06-020986-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
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