Susanna van Rose

DK books are consistently high-quality. This one is no exception.
Good layout, crisp imagery, good information laid out in such a way that both my children were interested in multiple viewings of the book. It's still a highly trafficked book by them, along with several other DK books.
This is, of course, a book with just informational highlights about volcanoes and earthquakes, so don't expect to read a scholarly journal if you purchase it.
As an overview, however, the book does an outstanding show more job.
The book is a perfect example of why, when looking for books for the kids' library, I always focus on finding DK books first. That approach hasn't failed me yet. In a very general sense, bravo to DK's authors and layout professionals. show less

This book has a great visual layout. There are many colorful pictures and text boxes spread over each page. Each page looks different and the format creates the illusion that there is less reading required, so the students don't get intimidated or lost in the text. It is fairly comprehensive and covers a wide range of topics with moderate depth. I would recommend this book to reluctant readers, who need the visual stimulation to stay interested.

Summary: This informational text is all about earthquakes and volcanoes. It discusses how volcanoes and earthquakes are formed and what causes them. It talks about the forces of nature (lightning, wind, lava) that occur at these events and the type of destruction that can occur. This book also gives examples of different accounts or events of volcanoes and earthquakes.

Argument: This informational text was a good read for children in many ways. First, it has many pictures and images of show more volcanoes and earthquakes that give children a better understanding of what they look like and what type of destruction can occur. The book also has images of artifacts from the aftermaths of volcanoes and earthquakes. For example, on page 28 there are images of bodies cast in dried lava from previous volcanoes that have destroyed cities and towns. I also like that near each picture or artifact there is a description to help give it more meaning. The second thing I liked about this book was its "Did you know?" section in the back of the book. It has facts and questions and answers that children can look at about earthquakes and volcanoes. Also, in the back of the book there is a timeline of earthquake and volcano events and a glossary of difficult words in the text. These are good resources for children to look at while reading to increase comprehension.
The main theme of this text is to inform children about earthquakes and volcanoes. It teaches children about how they are formed, the aftermaths of these natural disasters, and gives some examples of different incidents throughout history. show less

Good when you need an explanation for geology. Also mentions Pangaea and Plate tectonics which many students write research papers on.