From Publishers Weekly
"When people saw how animals tunneled through the ground, they must have thought, What a great idea!" writes Hunter (the pen name for Pamela Greenwood and Elizabeth Macalaster) in the third of Hunter and Miller's engineering-themed books (Into the Sky). What follows is a briskly described and brightly stylized panoply of man-made tunnels. Most of the tunnels have to do with public transportation ("The Chunnel takes you under the English Channel in 19 minutes"), although illicit uses are not overlooked: "Prisoners dug tunnels to escape. Bank robbers dug tunnels, too." Like the text, Miller's illustrations, rendered with a strong graphic sensibility, possess a witty crispness. He keeps details to a minimum, yet the precision of every line and the rich saturation of colors give each full-bleed, double-page spread the visual wallop of a poster?the Mont Blanc Car Tunnel, for example, becomes tiny black openings at either end of a boulder-like range of purple mountains. Hard-core junior construction buffs may grouse that there's not enough tunnel-building action, but for children just discovering the appeal of engineering, this snappy, appropriately horizontal volume should be right on target. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Children are fascinated by tunnels, and this well-written book on the subject provides much-needed information. Hunter begins with familiar animals that dig tunnels, then proceeds with simple examples of early tunnels that humans constructed: tunnels for water, for secretly entering an enemy's castle under a wall, and for mining. The author introduces existing tunnels that go under rivers and bays, and through mountains, and she also describes a future tunnel that will float across deep waterways. Miller's graphic designs complement the prose. Each structure is well illustrated with a double-page spread, providing simple details that visually explain and expand on the concepts introduced in the text. This is a well-designed book, filled with useful information expressed in a lively style.
Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
