Pyramid

September 15, 2004
Reviewed with Lorrie Mack's " Weather" .

Gr. 2-5. These titles in the ongoing Eye Wonder series offer brief, photo-rich introductions to their subjects. Although " Pyramid " focuses on the famous Egyptian structures, it takes an international view, featuring spreads about pyramids in the Sudan, Java, and India as well as several pages of Mayan and Aztec ruins. The bulk of the material, though, examines the pyramids of Giza, with cross-sections of the Great Pyramid, an overview of artifacts and various theories of construction, and so on. " Weather " offers basic introductions to seasons, cloud formations, storms, wind, and pollution's impact on Earth's atmosphere. " Weather" is a less successful title, with a weaker text that includes some trite phrasing: "When an airplane flies above the clouds, the passengers have a magical view." The sharp color photographs are the strength of both titles. Despite a few hard-to-read layouts that position small type directly over images, the attractive spreads will bring readers up close to peach-size hail or the Sphinx's paw. Elementary-school students seeking quick definitions and photo examples can start here; report writers will want more substantive texts. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)