My Best Book of Volcanoes; My Best Book of Big Cats

These two new titles from Kingfisher's 'Best Book' series are pitched at the 8+ audience with just the right amount of information to satisfy those in need of material for projects and homework. All the essentials are here - properly laid out contents, glossary and index, accessible text, consultants with the right credentials, pronunciation guide for difficult words, historical background, explanatory diagrams etc. At £7.99 they are good value, and yet ... one longs for some spark to really ignite the curious child, to inspire a passion in their chosen subject, to lift them above the workaday. Big Cats is marginally more successful in this respect - perhaps due to the subject matter or the stronger illustrators - where the artwork is used to compare the different markings of the tiger or the ways in which cats communicate. However both are sound reference tools and would prove useful additions to a class library.