cover image The Book of Comparisons: Sizing Up the World Around You

The Book of Comparisons: Sizing Up the World Around You

Clive Gifford, illus. by Paul Boston. Kane Miller, $17.99 (96p) ISBN 978-1-61067-667-0

This slightly oversize volume compares and contrasts everything under the sun—and beyond. Gifford compares the Earth’s longest geological and human-made structures, animals’ food consumption–to-poop ratios, the sizes of small animals to those of common objects, and the energy produced from different seismic events. Infographic charts, graphs, and timelines show how the subjects measure up, and Boston compares the approximate real size of an African giant snail, a goliath bird-eating spider, a large butterfly, and stick insect on the page. Gifford conveys information in a compact, digestible format while inviting readers to observe, scrutinize, and reflect upon their own surroundings. Ages 7–up. [em](Sept.) [/em]