Wheels ¦ Tools

Wheels and Tools provide carefully selected, well organised information through elegant, clear illustrations. The two books are linked by Venice Shone's stylish watercolours, presented on white backgrounds with simple labels - but they serve slightly different purposes.

Wheels looks at various groups of wheeled vehicles from 'baby' and 'play' wheels to 'working' wheels and 'wheels on wheels' (a car transporter). The illustrations are accurate without being overburdened with detail, and the subject matter would be suitable for older pre-school children and infants. By grouping the vehicles according to their purpose, useful connections are made and these could be extended when children use the book. For example, children might add shopping, farm or factory wheels. Related items are shown beside the vehicles: baby clothes beside the pram, beach toys beside the 'holiday' wheels, a radio beside the 'emergency' wheels. Children could also extend this idea.

Tools looks similar but depicts its subject in more detail. It also includes a glossary with tools grouped according to their use - the print is rather small but the definitions are straightforward: 'hammer for banging in nails, pincers for pulling out nails'. The tools shown range from household hammers and saws to a range of pliers and screwdrivers, spirit level and shave hook. This would be a helpful book for juniors concerned with woodwork, metalwork or gardening; it would also be useful as a general resource book for design and technology aspects of the curriculum.