Wildfires
Grade 3-5?Clear text and full-page, full-color photographs dramatize the overpowering fires that raged in Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1988. Simon explains the chemical reactions that cause fire and the conditions necessary for a cataclysm of that magnitude. Using descriptive comparisons such as "...165,000 acres of forest, an area more than twice the size of the entire city of Chicago," the author evokes the frantic effort to save the area from total destruction. But he goes on to explain why wildfires are helpful?that they are nature's method of renewing the ecosystem. Stating that the movie Bambi was incorrect in depicting forest animals fleeing in panic, Simon describes how creatures naturally adjust to the momentous change in temperature and atmosphere. Brief mention is made of fires in the Florida Everglades. Other worthwhile books on the topic for the same audience are Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's Yellowstone Fires (Holiday, 1990) and Carole G. Vogel and Kathryn A. Goldner's Great Yellowstone Fire (Little, 1993). For slightly older readers, try Patricia Lauber's Summer of Fire (Orchard, 1991). Simon's outstanding photos and readable text make this a worthy purchase even if you have the above-mentioned books.?Kathleen McCabe, East Meadow Public Library, NYCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.