Scholastic Visual Sports Encyclopedia

Grade 4 Up-As the introduction claims, this is an "illustrated guide to more than 100 different sports- practiced in the world today." It describes how each one is played, its rules, the skills and equipment needed, the roles of the players, and the responsibilities of the individuals who officiate each sport. Detailed, computer-generated images in full color show the playing fields, courts, or courses on which each sport is played and the athletes in action. The latter depictions are particularly effective at capturing the movements and steps involved in each activity. The chapters are divided by type of sport, such as track and field, aquatic sports, nautical sports, equestrian sports, ball sports, combat sports, sports on wheels, etc. The book also includes a chapter on sports and the human body with labeled diagrams of the muscles, heart, and respiratory system. All illustrations are in color. Go ahead-pick a sport, any sport, and you're likely to find an introduction to it here.
Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This encyclopedia for ages nine and up is designed to explain the rules and the equipment used for approximately 100 sports. It groups the sports into 14 sections such as "Track and Field," "Ball Sports," and "Motor Sports." The emphasis is upon the visual. Sections are color coded, and each begins with a page listing the sports included in the grouping. A graphic shows an athlete poised for action. The size of the chapters varies according to the number of events that qualify for inclusion.

Entries for individual sports range from one to four pages. The text is very brief, but detailed drawings help the reader understand the rules or finer points. Often an illustration is broken down so that each element of the jump, dive, or play is shown in the correct position. Many of these sports are part of either the summer or winter Olympics, and when there are differences in Olympic games and regular play, these are explained. Sidebars and boxes are used effectively to explain details, define terms, or show equipment.

The book is well organized, clearly written, and effectively illustrated. Though intended for a young audience, readers of all ages will enjoy browsing through it. School and public libraries should consider extra copies for circulation as well as reference. A similar title, Sports: The Complete Visual Reference (Firefly, 2000), covers more sports, including some not well known in the U.S.RBB
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