Another ill-conceived anomaly by the makers of ABC's of Space (1969) and ABC's of the Ocean (1970). For every letter of the alphabet there is an upper case and a lower case word related to geology but not in any way related to the preceding or following entries. Thus Kame and kettle (both made by glaciers) are separated from the more important "G" entry by the H, I and J words, and even "Earthquake" and "Fault" are split by "erosion." The scale of the concepts too is constantly changing: "C" goes from "Cave" to "continent." (And why does Cave get the capital letter?) Each word is followed by a brief definition-description, but though some of the discussions and accompanying diagrams are clarifying (gravity, for one), the selection of entries is arbitrary if not capricious (why xenon, a gas that makes up one ten-millionth of the air, except that it starts with x?), and there are not enough of them to make the book a reliable glossary. Similarly, some of the photographs are impressive, even striking, but no particular advantage is gained in bringing them together. Considering that children old enough for the contents don't want an ABC, it's hard to imagine any point to this wholly gratuitous earth catalog.
Pub Date: Nov. 22, 1971
ISBN: 0802760910
Page Count: -
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1971
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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