DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE 50 STATES

The author of the popular adult Don't Know Much About series goes after a younger audience, laying out a skimpy assortment of random facts about the states and using the same lighthearted Q&A format. With Andriani's small cartoon illustrations liberally scattered about for color, Davis pauses at each state in alphabetical order, starting with a box of facts in brief, then, along with the occasional lame joke ("What has four eyes but can't see? Mississippi"), introducing a handful of historical events, famous natives, natural features, or unique characteristics. Browsers may pause here for a few moments—before going on to more substantial tours of the US, such as Lila Perl's It Happened in America (1992). Because Davis's accuracy is sometimes as casual as his style—not all of the Alamo's defenders were Texans, for instance, and Davy Crockett wore a coonskin cap far more often in legend than in life—it's not a primary purchase for libraries. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)