THE shortlist for the Aventis Junior Science Book Prize is a decidedly mixed bag. First let’s shake off Earthquake, in which you can fast forward through an earthquake. It’s a neat idea, but poorly executed. The tone is patronising and the illustrations frankly amateurish.
It is a relief, then, to open the Night Sky Atlas. Stuffed to bursting with starry facts and brilliant see-through constellations, it helps you follow the sky month by month. I have a tiny gripe about the tiny type.
Endangered Planet is a strong, straight tale of humankind’s attempts to wreck our home planet.…
