Take a tour of earth's natural wonders to find the longest river (the Nile: 4,145 miles), the highest mountain (Mount Everest: 29,028 feet); the coldest place (Vostok, Antarctica at 129 below zero), and the windiest spot (atop Mount Washington in New Hampshire, with a record wind of 231 miles per hour). Each double page covers a geographical record-holder, and sports striking paper collage illustrations, two brief, fact-filled paragraphs, and a small inset map. Not only will you travel the world vicariously, but the mathematical comparisons for each place encompass miles, feet, inches, and temperature, making this an across-the-curriculum star for enhancing math, science, and geography skills and interests. Children can search out supporting information about each the 14 sites in books, encyclopedias, and Internet, and search for other interesting superlatives in the natural world, like the tallest trees or the largest reptile.
What distinguishes a Steve Jenkins book is the way it whets a child's desire to learn more about the world. Children will love trading more facts from his many animal record books, including Actual Size, Big and Little, and Biggest, Strongest, Fastest.
THEMES: TRAVEL.
- These visuals give young readers a full understanding of how amazing these natural wonders are.
- School Library Journal