The Kingfisher Young Discoverers Encyclopedia of Facts and Experiments (by Kingfisher Staff)

This is an extraordinarily extensive compendium of science fact and activities. Kids eager to explore their environment will discover activities for making a sound cannon and an amplifier, as well as a crude burglar alarm. Other experiments reveal how to test the greenhouse effect, and how to create a terrarium and a backyard nature reserve.

The book's emphasis on care and respect for the natural world is especially evident in the last chapter. Young readers learn that pollution and indiscriminate treatment of the natural world threatens all living things: "Plants and animals that share the same habitat rely on each other for their survival." There is a close-up photograph of two beautiful but decapitated leopard heads, their bodies poached for the fur trade. The illustrations, both full-color drawings and photographs, are instructive, and an excellent complement to the science lessons.