Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Elements

May 1, 2021
Grades 4-6 This handsome volume introduces young readers to all 118 currently known elements. But it's a lot more entertaining than it sounds: Congdon, a former teacher, the daughter of a physicist, and now a professional artist, has poured her energies into kid-friendly commentary and engaging illustrations. Many elements get their own pages, which are filled with basic information (when it was discovered and by whom, where it can be found, properties, applications, fun facts) and complemented by appealing full-color illustrations. There are 20 pages of introductory material on the periodic table, and special-interest inserts pop up from time to time (endangered elements, deadliest elements, stinkiest elements). Back matter includes brief profiles of "Women of the Periodic Table" and "Standout Chemists of the Periodic Table" and a glossary (but no chapter notes or references). Readers will learn how ancient Romans used snail mucus to dye their togas purple (the snails absorbed the element bromine by crawling on the ocean floor) and that medieval Germans believed cobalt fumes were menacing goblins. Upbeat and energetic, this is a great introduction to chemistry and beyond.

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June 15, 2021
An illustrator leads a tour through the periodic table. Hip artwork and a funky display type give coffee-table appeal to this large but relatively lightweight "encyclopedia." Colorful sections introduce each element along with its category, its year of discovery according to Western science, the scientist credited, and (usually) a "fun fact." Additional sections, evidently sprinkled in to break up the parade of facts about the individual elements, include explorations of "endangered elements," stinky elements, "CSI elements," "the deadliest elements," and elements in the human body as well as minibiographies of periodic table originator Dmitri Mendeleev, the Curies, many other notable chemists, and famed element collector Oliver Sacks. Text is friendly and illustrations, accessible; this might well prove an enticing introduction for budding researchers. There is neither a bibliography nor a credited expert reviewer, however; that might explain the erroneous proclamation that "every cubic mile of...of seawater" contains "37 pounds...of gold" or the incorrect diagram that shows gamma rays passing unhindered through a thick wall of concrete. It's less egregious that the text equates atomic mass and atomic weight or that the ancient Greek elemental symbols shown aren't exactly correct. The text breezes through spectrum and capacitor without defining them for the glossary--which, oddly, also includes acid but not base. Opening a gatefold on the front endpaper reveals a periodic table plus key. Stylish and superficially informational. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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