Planet Earth - Up Close! product reviews

Zoom in on some of earth's most interesting plants, insects and animals, and see the fine details that make them almost unreal in appearance.

While most of the 'close up' pictures are amazing, there are a few that made me wonder why they bothered to include them... a prime example was the Venus Fly Trap plant, whose close-up was out of focus and contained hardly any plant! On the flip-side, most of the macro photos were rich in tiny details, such as the Cicada wings, Bullet Ant head, Dung Beetle and Brain Coral. The most stunning one for me was the shot of the 2-inch long fang of the Gaboon Viper, dripping venom! -shudder-

Each lifeform has a 2-page spread, with some interesting facts about it... but I wouldn't call this anything more than a 'book of interesting bits and pieces, and some stunning photos' - it's not a teaching aid, it's a way to introduce kids to the wonders of the world that are too small for us to easily see unaided. This still makes this book a valuable aid for learning, in the same manner as a seed is valuable in growing a tree... as the saying goes, 'From the smallest acorn, great oak trees grow' - so too does a passion for knowledge of our world sprout from simple books such as these.

Overall, though not the biggest, best, or most impressive of it's kind I have come across, it is certainly no slouch nor is it worth passing off as irrelevant. If you see it in the shops, take a few moments to give it a look-through and you may find it surprises you.