Covering from sky cranes to the evocatively named "Titan megamanipulator," these picture-filled portrayals offer stimulating tributes—both of the intellectual and the adrenalin-fueled sort—to the wonders of technology. Visuals take pride of place; with rare exceptions the photographs and graphic images range from merely exciting to eye-poppingly awesome, and the narrative texts play supporting roles even when adding well-chosen facts or pointing out details that shouldn't be missed. Resource lists and other study aids usually take back seats too—not that most of the likely audiences will feel the lack.

Preschool - Grade 4

ABOFF, Marcie. The World's Biggest Machines. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4109-3875-6; ISBN 978-1-4109-3881-7. LC 2009051227. ————. The World's Fastest Machines. ISBN 978-1-4109-3851-0; ISBN 978-1-4109-3885-5. LC 2009051225. GILLIS, Jennifer Blizin. The World's Dirtiest Machines. ISBN 978-1-4109-3876-3; ISBN 978-1-4109-3882-4. LC 2009051228. ————. The World's Smartest Machines. ISBN 978-1-4109-3879-4; ISBN 978-1-4109-3883-1. LC 2009051425. ————. The World's Toughest Machines. ISBN 978-1-4109-3878-7; ISBN 978-1-4109-3886-2. LC 2009051424. JAE, Paloma. The World's Most Unusual Machines. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4109-3880-0; ISBN 978-1-4109-3884-8. LC 2009051426. ea vol: 32p. (Extreme Machines Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Raintree. 2010. PLB $29; pap. $7.99. Gr 2-4—Expect expressions of amazement from children as they pore over these galleries of huge, fast, tough, and oddball machines. Most Unusual leads the pack in the latter category. It opens with a super-high-tech motorcycle that seems to be swallowing its driver and goes on to offer views of several types of bizarre-looking monowheels, amphibious cars, and other strange wheeled or flying vehicles. Each volume features about a dozen exemplars, matching one-to-five sentences of adrenalin-laced text ("Don't get caught behind these giant mining trucks!") plus an "Extreme Fact" or a measurement to one or two large, well-angled action photos. Despite closing quizzes and resource lists, these titles are more suitable for pleasure than purpose reading; the level of detail is so superficial that some of the machines depicted aren't identified, and even for those that are named, specific physical data is almost nonexistent. Still, from the roller coaster and rockets in Fastest Machines to the trash smashers and mud-racing ATVs in Dirtiest Machines, there's plenty here to spark browser interest. ASKEW, Amanda. Bulldozers. ISBN 978-1-59566-925-4. LC 2010001217. ————. Cranes. ISBN 978-1-59566-924-7. LC 2010001219. ————. Diggers. ISBN 978-1-59566-926-1. LC 2010001221. ————. Loaders. ISBN 978-1-59566-923-0. LC 2010001222. ea vol: 24p. (QEB Mighty Machines Series). photos. glossary. index. QEB. 2010. PLB $25.65. Gr 1-3—These browsers' delights feature big, bright photos of wheeled or tread-driven heavy-duty machines at work paired with concise explanations of their major components and the kinds of work they do. Each large-trim volume includes at least one unusual variant—a flying "sky crane" in Cranes for instance and a "suction excavator" in Diggers—along with a final spread that pairs examples of the largest and the smallest types in the world, and a page of review questions. The texts and captions are large, broadly spaced, and chock-full of enticing observations, comparisons, and mechanical details. GOSMAN, Gillian. Inclined Planes in Action. ISBN 978-1-4488-0685-0. LC 2010003271. ————. Levers in Action. ISBN 978-1-4488-0682-9. LC 2009054346. ————. Pulleys in Action. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4488-0681-2. LC 2009053019. ————. Screws in Action. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4488-0686-7. LC 2010003768. ————. Wedges in Action. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4488-0683-6. LC 2009054354. ————. Wheels and Axles in Action. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4488-0684-3. LC 2010003771. ea vol: 24p. (Simple Machines at Work Series). diag. photos. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Rosen/PowerKids Pr. 2010. PLB $21.25. Gr 2-4—These titles explain how simple machines provide mechanical advantage and/or changing directions of force for lifting or shifting loads. Each one combines bright color photos of different forms of the machine being (safely) used with simply worded explanations, and closes with a low-tech demonstration that does not involve any measurements or calculations. Though Gosman includes some historical notes (Archimedes makes repeated appearances in most of these volumes), it's the demonstrated ubiquity of levers, wedges, and the rest in implements from wheelbarrows and chopsticks to cheese graters and baseball bats that will make the strongest impression. GRAHAM, Ian. Bullet Trains. ISBN 978-1-59566-927-8. LC 2010006060. ————. Jet Planes. ISBN 978-1-59566-928-5. LC 2010006061. ————. Speedboats. ISBN 978-1-59566-929-2. LC 2010006063. ————. Supercars. ISBN 978-1-59566-930-8. LC 2010006062. ea vol: 32p. (QEB Fast! Series). charts. illus. photos. reprods. glossary. index. CIP. QEB. 2010. PLB $27.10. Gr 4-5—Catering to speed worshippers, these albums offer three dramatically angled portraits (all photos, except for a final look at proposed or futuristic vehicles) per spread with short but pleasantly specific accounts of each record-breaker's feats and a summary "Factfile." The entrants include historical achievers as well as current ones, arranged from slowest to fastest—an 1899 racer that hit 76 MPH, and the jet and rocket propelled Bloodhound SSC that may reach 1000 MPH in Supercars, for instance. The books also include related speedsters, such as roller coasters in Bullet Trains and boats powered by sail and foot along with propellers or jets in Speedboats. Each volume closes with a page of discussion suggestions for parents and teachers. HILL, Lee Sullivan. Earthmovers on the Move. ISBN 978-0-7613-3918-2. ISBN 978-0-7613-6303-3. LC 2009039739. ————. Formula One Race Cars on the Move. ISBN 978-0-7613-3920-5. ISBN 978-0-7613-6305-7. LC 2009039745. JANGO-COHEN, Judith. Fire Trucks on the Move. ISBN 978-0-7613-6023-0. ISBN 978-0-7613-6304-0. LC 2009039740. NELSON, Kristin L. Monster Trucks on the Move. ISBN 978-0-7613-6022-3. ISBN 978-0-7613-6306-4. LC 2009038530. RANSOM, Candice. Big Rigs on the Move. ISBN 978-0-7613-3919-9. ISBN 978-0-7613-6302-6. LC 2009039738. ZUEHLKE, Jeffrey. Pickup Trucks on the Move. ISBN 978-0-7613-6024-7. ISBN 978-0-7613-6307-1. LC 2009039747. ea vol: 32p. (Lightning Bolt Books: Vroom-Vroom Series). diag. illus. photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Lerner. 2010. PLB $25.26. ebook $18.95. K-Gr 2—These titles not only offer big, high-energy color photos of various sorts of vehicles at work or play, but also informative glimpses of car and truck controls, engines, and interiors. Introducing distinctive vocabulary ("sheepsfoot roller" in Earthmovers, for instance, or "wheelie" in Monster Trucks) andrunning to just two or three sentences per page, the texts provide lively commentary in a mix of declarative statements and non-rhetorical questions. The pictures show both men and women as operators, firefighters, or members of crews. Each volume closes with a labeled diagram, a page of "fun facts," and a short list of print and web resources. Aside from a debatable claim that big rigs"travel slower than regular cars," the series will make a worthwhile and popular addition. PARKER, Steve. Robots for Work and Fun. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60753-071-8. LC 2010001127. ————. Robots in Dangerous Places. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60753-072-5. LC 2010001124. ————. Robots in Fiction and Films. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60753-073-2. LC 2010001125. ————. Robots in Science and Medicine. ISBN 978-1-60753-074-9. LC 2009040656. ————. Robots in Space. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60753-075-6. LC 2009040657. ————. Robots on the Move. ISBN 978-1-60753-076-3. LC 2010001123. ea vol: 32p. (Robot World Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Amicus. 2010. PLB $28.50. Gr 4-5—Along with introducing many kinds of robots, from the fictional WALL-E and Mechagodzilla to the familiar Roomba and industrial robots like the Titan megamanipulator, Parker provides quick looks at robot design, components and testing, and current and potential capabilities of robots in factories, volcanoes, war zones, outer space, and elsewhere. He also discusses (but downplays) some of the risks and consequences of their use. Digestible paragraphs and multiple sideboxes are interspersed with several large color photos on each topical spread. Work and Fun is broad enough to function as an overview of the topic; Fiction and Films surveys an ever-popular sub-area; and the other, more narrowly focused volumes will make serviceable additions for assignment use. The resource lists at the end of each book are virtually identical. RYAN, Phillip. Freight Trains. ISBN 978-1-4488-0635-5. LC 2009048610. ————. Monorails. ISBN 978-1-4488-0638-6. LC 2009048770. ————. Passenger Trains. ISBN 978-1-4488-0637-9. LC 2009049059. ————. Steam-Powered Trains. ISBN 978-1-4488-0640-9. LC 2009052022. ————. Streetcars. ISBN 978-1-4488-0639-3. LC 2009050918. ————. Subways. ISBN 978-1-4488-0636-2. LC 2009049317. ea vol: 24p. (All Aboard! Series). photos. index. Web sites. Rosen/PowerKids Pr. 2010. PLB $21.25. Gr 1-2—These general introductions to rolling stock pair views of trains and related vehicles at work—one per spread, sharply photographed—with one- or two-sentence captions. The texts, printed in large but thin type, are easy to read if bland and not so informative ("This steam train carries goods"), and though the topic is high-interest, the close-up views of wheels, engines, or specialized features are too few to satisfy budding trainiacs. WISEMAN, Blaine. Dump Trucks. ISBN 978-1-61690-145-5; ISBN 978-1-61690-146-2. LC 2010013934. ————. Extreme Excavators. ISBN 978-1-61690-133-2; ISBN 978-1-61690-134-9. LC 2010013935. ————. Jumbo Jets. ISBN 978-1-61690-136-3; ISBN 978-1-61690-137-0. LC 2010013936. ————. Mighty Bulldozers. ISBN 978-1-61690-142-4; ISBN 978-1-61690-143-1. LC 2010013933. ————. Monster Trucks. ISBN 978-1-61690-139-4; ISBN 978-1-61690-140-0. LC 2010013937. ————. Tough Tractors. ISBN 978-1-61690-148-6; ISBN 978-1-61690-149-3. LC 2010013940. ea vol: 24p. (World of Wonder: Big Machines Series). photos. glossary. index. Web sites. Weigl. 2010. PLB $25.70; pap. $9.95. Gr 1-2—A few of the photos in this series achieve awesomeness—but not enough to compensate for the many routine shots, or for the weak connections between the pictures and the narratives. Monster Trucks is the best of the lot, presenting action shots of nine colorfully customized and mammoth-wheeled show trucks suspended in mid-air or running over crushed cars. In the other volumes, portrayals of working vehicles shown from low angles or in close-up detail are often static. They are also generic: there are no visual counterparts to back up references in the text to operator controls or types of earth-moving blades in Mighty Bulldozers, for instance, nor, despite a specific description in Dump Trucks, are any of those vehicles seen maneuvering using mirrors and spotters. Each volume ends with a perfunctory craft (often a drawing) and three recommended websites.

Grades 5 and Up

GILPIN, Daniel. Military Vehicles. ISBN 978-1-60870-109-4. LC 2009044196. ————. Modern Military Aircraft. ISBN 978-1-60870-108-7. LC 2009043246. ————. Record Breakers. ISBN 978-1-60870-113-1. LC 2009043260. ————. Rescue Vehicles. ISBN 978-1-60870-111-7. LC 2009044197. ————. Spacecraft. ISBN 978-1-60870-112-4. LC 2009045045. WEST, David. Modern Warships and Submarines. ISBN 978-1-60870-110-0. LC 2009043258. ea vol: illus. by Alex Pang. 32p. (Machines Close-Up Series). diags. illus. photos. reprods. glossary. index. CIP. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark. 2010. PLB $28.50. Gr 4-6—Spread-filling, exploded views of 10 land, sea, air, or space craft in each volume will draw browsers to this series like bees to honey. Preceded by two spreads of historical background, each gallery includes an international selection of vehicles—most still in use—capped by a page of "Future Machines." The digitally generated art is angled for an illusion of depth, cleanly drawn, brightly colored, and surrounded by smaller close-ups, captions, and descriptive commentary. Though so much of the fine detail has been removed from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and some of the other vehicles in Modern Warships that what remains is blocky and schematic, in general the views offer plenty without being dizzyingly busy. The military titles are likely to be the most popular, but Record Breakers provides an unusual gathering of cars, trains, jets, and other vehicles that hold current world records. The lack of leads to further resources is no real loss because these are strictly browser fodder anyway. MASON, Paul. Formula 1. diag. ISBN 978-1-60753-117-3. LC 2009033531. ————. Indy Cars. ISBN 978-1-60753-118-0. LC 2009036922. ————. Karting. diag. ISBN 978-1-60753-119-7. LC 2009036841. ————. Monster Trucks. ISBN 978-1-60753-120-3. LC 2009034373. ————. Motorcycles. ISBN 978-1-60753-121-0. LC 2009034371. ————. Stock Cars. diag. ISBN 978-1-60753-122-7. LC 2009033533. ea vol: 30p. (Motorsports Series). photos. reprods. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Amicus. 2010. PLB $28.50. Gr 4-6—Readers who are hazy on the differences between, for instance, Formula 1 and Indy racing won't be much enlightened by these surveys, but for young fans of professional motor sports the array of brightly colored cars, trucks, and bikes whizzing by provides heady visuals. There is plenty of topical overlap among volumes, and the various captions, bullet lists, and snippets of text scattered across each spread are larded with jargon and names that will be meaningless to the uninitiated. Stock Cars, for example, informs readers that "road courses" feature "chicanes" and "corners in both directions," but neglects to explain what those are. The books are all about speed, though, and there's plenty of that conveyed in the photos. OXLADE, Chris. The Computer. ISBN 978-1-4329-3829-1; ISBN 978-1-4329-3836-9. LC 2009049147. ————. The Camera. ISBN 978-1-4329-3828-4; ISBN 978-1-4329-3835-2. LC 2009049146. ————. The Car. ISBN 978-1-4329-3827-7; ISBN 978-1-4329-3834-5. LC 2009049144. SPILSBURY, Richard & Louise Spilsbury. The Airplane. illus. ISBN 978-1-4329-3830-7; ISBN 978-1-4329-3837-6. LC 2009049149. ————. The Submarine. ISBN 978-1-4329-3831-4; ISBN 978-1-4329-3838-3. LC 2009049150. ————. The Telephone. ISBN 978-1-4329-3826-0; ISBN 978-1-4329-3833-8. LC 2009049027. ea vol: 32p. (Tales of Invention Series). diags. photos. reprods. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Heinemann Library. 2010. PLB $29; pap. $7.99. Gr 4-6—These overviews do an adequate job of filling in the historical background behind selected, now-common techno-wonders. Running time lines (superfluously repeated in the back matter) anchor general accounts of major innovations, experiments, triumphs, and setbacks in the development of each machine. These accounts are presented in a main narrative that is separated into bite-sized bits by a new header every paragraph or two, and colored side boxes. The one or more illustrations on every page are mostly period photographs or images, but are accompanied by an occasional clear, simplified diagram. Though closing spreads in each volume offer a few speculations about future advances, the main focus here is on the past—which, since this territory has been thoroughly explored elsewhere, makes the series of, at best, supplemental value. The Bottom Line

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Lerner's "Lightning Bolt Books: Vroom Vroom," Heinemann Raintree's "Extreme Machines," and QEB's "QEB Mighty Machines"lead this pack of crowd-pleasers for sheer browsing pleasure, and Heinemann Library's "Tales of Invention" and PowerKids Press's "Simple Machines At Work" will be useful for classroom instruction and reports. Of the rest, only PowerKids Press's "All Aboard!" will fail to inform, engross, and satisfy young readers.