A for Antarctica - Hardcover

JONATHAN CHESTER is one of the world’s leading polar adventurers and photographers. A fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, he works as a naturalist and historian on tourist excursions to the Antarctic, and has been lecturing on adventure, the Himalayas, and photography for over twenty years. He is the author of many books for both kids and adults, including A FOR ANTARCTICA and BUSY PENGUINS. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Grade 1-3?An introduction to human and animal activities in the Antarctic. While the full-color photographs are beautiful, bright, and clear, their relationship to each letter is sometimes questionable. Many photos include more than one object, so that one of a waterfall could also be interpreted as ice, glacier, or water. Others portray unique aspects of Antarctic life, but are confusing. For example, "Nest" shows a snow petrel and chick on a rocky outcrop. Also, the photo of a large white "X" painted by surveyors as a reference point for mapping is taken from an angle that makes it look more like a cross. The typeface is clear, dark, and easy to read, but often the vocabulary is difficult and unfamiliar, e.g., crevasse, yacht, nunatak. Children may be frustrated by the use of such words as zooplankton, quad, and quest?they are briefly defined, but are not always accompanied by pronunciation guides. This glimpse of life in a fascinating area of the world lacks clarity and focus.?Frances E. Millhouser, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
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