In Rusch's third book on volcanoes, she is joined by Swan, and the two have created an eye-popping riot of action, sound, color, and information to convey the energy and impact of volcanoes. Portions of the text are written for younger readers, while the more detailed, thorough explanatory passages (in a slightly smaller font) are approachable for older readers or through adult assistance. Rusch describes both "creative" and "destructive" volcanoes, but spends more time explaining the creative ones and their environments. Swan's provocative found-objects-meet-digital-painting art is a wild, invigorating explosion (so to speak) of lines and colors. But it's not overwhelming; the labels of the lava, magma, and varied strata of volcanoes expand the understanding. A smart and visceral introduction to the topic d the pronunciation help within the text is nice, too.

The book opens with a magnificent mixed-media illustration showing a volcanic vent gushing steam, rock, and lava. The author then confronts a common misconception: "Volcanoes are not just destructive. Much more often, volcanoes are creative." Profiles of eight volcanoes illustrate her point. Each spread includes one sentence in large type that provides general information; smaller-type paragraphs provide detailed background. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Blowing their tops off, growing taller and wider, and forming new mountains and islands, volcanoes can be both destructive and creative. Extraordinary illustrations complement this description of eight extraordinary Earth events. A dual-level narrative provides both a simple explanation of how volcanoes work and longer paragraphs that go into greater depth. Rusch offers as examples eight volcanoes from around the world. From barely perceptible swellings of the land in central Oregon to a whole new island in Iceland and the vast caldera left by explosions in the Yellowstone area, the variety of volcanic activities may surprise readers. The text is set on gorgeous full-bleed images, sometimes realistic and sometimes allusive. Swan has digitally manipulated collages of found objects, textures and hand-painted papers, putting them together in ways that suggest the varied scenery of her examples. Palm trees, puffins and people give depth to vast landscapes. The colors are particularly striking: jade and turquoise waters, red and orange magma and hot lava, shades of gray and brown for the ash. In her read-aloud text, Rusch makes plentiful use of onomatopoetic words: "Pow!" "Hisssss!" "Gurgle," "Tssss." The fuller explanations introduce, define and, when necessary, offer a suggested pronunciation for more technical words: pahoehoe (a kind of cooled lava surface), tephra, lava bombs. A clever and appealing introduction to a remarkable natural phenomenon. (glossary, bibliography, further reading) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Gr 3-4 Rusch offers a twin-sided look at the power of volcanoes-their capability for destruction, and, surprisingly, of creation. Her informative text continues the split in personality with, on one side, an easy sentence or two dramatically describing eruptions with a heavily accented "POW!" or "SPURT." On the other is a longer, more complex paragraph giving further data for older readers or for teachers and homeschooling parents. Included are such topics as the Yellowstone supervolcano, the emergence of undersea volcanoes, and the creation of Paricut&7;n in a Mexican cornfield. All of this information is placed on a backdrop of Swan's dramatic artwork, a combination of hand-painted papers, digital paintings, and Photoshop scans that include a puffin taking off from the sea near Surtsey and Kilauea's pahoehoe lava flowing violently into the cold Pacific waters. Pair this book with Lisa Westberg Peters's Volcano Wakes Up! (Holt, 2010) for a lava-full celebration of vulcanology. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY