ACTION

Splendid color photos coupled with a simple, precise text make this and Taylor's other three titles in the new ``Flying Start Science'' series (Structure; Water; Light) engrossing and exciting introductions to both physical science and the natural world. Here, a stop-action photo of an apple falling from a tree gives instant insight into the laws of motion and the meaning of acceleration; it could even lead to the kind of curiosity and surmise that inspired Newton's laws. The author's dog, leaning toward the inside of the curve she is bounding around, is simultaneously a vivid illustration of centrifugal force, a friendly, familiar sight, and a handsome picture. Simple experiments allow hands-on verification of the principles discussed. Moving back and forth between pictures of plants, insects, or animals and discussions of forces, actions, and reactions transforms science from word or curriculum to the real world around us. Glossary, index. (Nonfiction. 8+)