Comets, meteors, and asteroids /

Gr. 3-5. Simon presents basic information about comets, meteors, and asteroids in an attractive oversize book that follows the format of his series on the planets. Blocks of text appear in fairly large type, usually facing a full-page illustration. Describing these three kinds of space objects individually in terms of their makeup and where they are found, Simon writes in plain language, without talking down to his audience. The intriguing photographs include shots of comets and meteor showers in the sky, a meteorite in Antarctica, and an enormous impact crater in Arizona. A visually appealing introductory volume. (Reviewed September 15, 1994)0688127096Carolyn Phelan

Gr 3-5-Simon revisits the territory he covered in The Long Journey from Space (Crown, 1982; o.p.), this time for a younger audience. Full-color photographs have replaced the black-and-white ones, although there's really not a lot of difference between a black-and-white and a color shot of a meteor. While this new volume does include the basic information necessary to understand what these astronomical objects are and where they come from (including the distinctions between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites), that's about all it does provide. Simon's earlier book and Patricia Lauber's Voyagers from Space (Crowell, 1989), also for older children, have much more information and many more illustrations (Lauber's title has some color photos as well). Comets and ``shooting stars'' are both covered in the ``Let's Read and Find Out'' series (Crowell) for this age group. Where those titles are unavailable or demand is high, Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids is an acceptable purchase. Or, you could make do with a current children's encyclopedia.- Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A concise text characterizing comets, meteors, and asteroids accurately portrays the movement of these bodies through our solar system and provides up-to-date theories about their origins. The striking array of photographs includes Earth-based observatory images, computer-enhanced false-color pictures, and a 'Galileo' spacecraft image. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Another stunner from Simon (Mountains, 1994, etc.), a science writer who just can't give his pen a rest (now well over 100 science titles to his credit). Simon's tight, lucid text gives the lowdown on meteors, comets, and asteroids: their composition and behavior, where they fit into the greater galactic scene, how their sometimes spectacular displays have been interpreted down through the ages. Simon is as famous for the illustrations he pulls together for his books as he is for his sharp writing, and here again the photos and graphics pack an enormous visual wallop. The taut graphics provide the context, and the photos convey the spooky mystery and wild pyrotechnics of these unearthly visitors. Sometimes the photos get a bit too mind-bending, making it hard to get a real sense of what you are seeing. But there is no denying the sheer power in the photograph of the fireball flashing over Jackson Hole, Wyo.--it is an awesome, terrible presence, just the kind of image to spark a lifelong interest in celestial bodies. (Picture book. 5+)