The Wonder in Water

The author of Nibbling on Einstein's Brain brings her animated style to the story of water.

With this richly illustrated book, young readers can dive into The Wonder in Water and discover just what's in the wet stuff, from the tiniest raindrop to the largest ocean.

There's enough water on this planet to fill 325 million trillion large milk jugs. Start with our own salty sweat. It not only keeps us cool but also feeds the masses of microbes that live on our skin, repelling germs and keeping us healthy.

From sprinkles of sweat, readers can journey on to:

• Falling Raindrops -- Water from the sky can contain life as small as an amoeba and as large as a turtle;
• Patchy Puddles -- Nurseries for toads, bistros for bugs, or bait for the meat-eating pitcher plant;
• Freshwater Marshes -- Where fish and frogs frolic, muskrats and moose mingle;
• Quiet Lakes -- Roads for water-walking lizards; winter homes for microscopic life in ice;
• Fast-flowing Rivers -- Only for the strong (salmon) or the clingy (black fly larvae);
• Salty Seas -- Home to more life than anywhere else on Earth.

Young children will thrill to this watery expedition with Diane Swanson as their guide. There is microscopic photography to amaze, along with images that enhance the engrossing facts in the text and sidebars. The Wonder in Water is exciting adventure in one of nature's most fascinating habitats.

Diane Swanson is the author of more than 60 factual books for kids in which she's explored everything from stomachs to science itself. She lives in Victoria.