What's So Bad about Gasoline?: Fossil Fuels and What They Do (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2 Series) by Anne Rockwell, Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Look around to see what uses oil—cars, airplanes, boats, factories, and countless other machines. The world is dependent on oil as its main source of energy. Although oil is plentiful right now, the supply will eventually run out, and even worse, burning oil is very damaging to the environment. What alternatives can help us use less oil and how can we protect the environment? Read and find out!

Children's Literature

For years, the books in the "Let's Read and Find Out" series have been mainstay references for young children thirsty for information. In this case, Rockwell begins with the ordinary experience of a trip to the local gas station, and then goes on to explore where the gas that fills the tank and keeps the car moving came from. After explaining its origin in prehistoric time, we are given some information about why petroleum was known but not valued until the late nineteenth century. The next section of the book goes on to look at how the excessive use of this resource now threatens the environment. The text is accompanied by illustrations that are labeled and captioned to help children understand the concepts. While this book is targeted for primary grades, first- and second-graders are likely to need an adult with whom they can read and discuss the information page by page. Like others of this series, this is a good classroom resource. A stage 2 "Let's Read and Find Out" book. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3

Rockwell presents the basic facts about how gasoline is produced, how it was first discovered, and its uses. She then discusses how gasoline and other fossil fuels, as they have become more and more widely used, have contributed to polluting the environment. Suggestions are offered on how to cut back our gas consumption, and alternatives such as solar power, wind power, nuclear energy, and alternative fuels are addressed. The author neglects hydroelectricity. Detailed pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings in shades of blue and brown appear throughout, and text balloons help provide humor to various scenarios. Additional facts about gasoline are appended. Nigel Saunders and Steven Chapman's Fossil Fuel (Raintree, 2006) goes into more detail about the processing of petroleum products as well as problems and solutions associated with them.-Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX

Kirkus Reviews

Part of the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science series, this Stage 2 title educates readers about fossil fuels and the damage that their use causes to Earth. Rockwell begins with gasoline, the fuel that powers our cars. But its burning in the engine releases carbon dioxide, which then traps the Earth's heat and causes global warming. The text then turns to an enlightening account of petroleum-how it is formed and what its uses have been throughout history. Coal gets a brief mention. Global warming's potential dangers are elucidated, as well as some of the ways we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. These include the further exploration of solar, wind, nuclear and tidal power, as well as capturing factory emissions and searching for different types of automobile fuels. Meisel's ink-and-watercolor illustrations nicely illustrate/summarize the key concepts in the text. Bright colors and rich detail will hold readers' interest as they absorb the information presented. Especially strong in its explanation of the history of petroleum, this is an accessible and thought-provoking look at a global issue. (gasoline facts) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Product Details