My First Canadian Science Encyclopedia

E. Jane Philipps is head of the Biology Library at Queen’s University
in Kingston.

This large, slim book invites children to explore the exciting world of
science. The first pages define “science,” with eight characters who
reappear in the appropriate later sections, introducing the fields in
which they work—biology, zoology, botany, chemistry, physics,
meteorology, geology, astronomy—and describing how scientists work.
Subsequent pages focus on the human body and its senses; the animal and
plant worlds; the composition of objects; physical phenomena like
temperature, sound, and light; the weather; the earth; and space.
Colorful, humorous drawings (inclusive of gender and race) place science
and scientists in such everyday scenes as the kitchen or the playground,
using objects and activities familiar to young readers.

Brief paragraphs of text are combined with cartoon bubbles in which the
scientists or the objects of study themselves convey the information.
Simple, large type and effective use of bolding contribute to
readability. Limited Canadian content derives from the use of some
Canadian facts and figures and sketches of several famous Canadians and
Canadian inventions. The excellent “try it yourself” experiments
represent one of the book’s best features.

This easy-to-use encyclopedia succeeds in making science accessible.
Recommended.