Give kids an extraordinary view

The world and everything that's in it. Ho hum.

Publishers of children's books know that they have to create new and unexpected approaches to catch and focus children's attention.

Camels are old news. But what about the eyelashes of a camel?

Everybody's already seen a tarantula. But what about an x-ray of a tarantula?

Explosions happen all the time. But what about a whale exploding?

"Planet Earth: Our Extraordinary World: Up Close!" by Matthew and Steve Murrie will captivate kids grades three through seven.

The photos will interest children who are even younger. Bats have specialized tendons in their toes that allow them to hang upside down without straining their muscles.

The short claws of the polar bear are shaped like tiny scoops so that the bears can dig homes in the snow. Hummingbirds have split tongues that allow them to lick nectar at the rate of 13 times per second.

"Up Close" is an accurate title.

"X-treme X-ray" with photos by Nick Veasey invites children to "See the world inside out!" From a Boeing 777 (that required 500 X-rays to make up the picture) to a longhorn beetle, each X-ray is accompanied by a small amount of text that explains the X-ray and adds interesting facts about the subjects.

For example, with the X-ray of a bus, the text includes the fact that the earliest roads date to 4000 B.C., and that bus tires look dark on an X-ray because they are filled with air.

There's a certain appeal to being able to see through walls, metal and skin without being Superman.

"Kaboom! Explosions of All Kinds" by Gillian Richardson is a book for middle and high school students that explores a variety of explosions and the science behind them.

The text draws kids in with lots of color photos, fun facts and snippets of information in colorful side boxes.

The chapters covering "Explosions in Nature" explain a range of subjects, including geysers, solar flares and bombardier beetles.

"Explosions We Create" explains explosions such as gunpowder, demolition and fireworks. Interspersed with the explosions are discussions about explosions.

For example: "Did Explosions Kill the Dinosaurs?" The book closes with a bibliography, index and suggestions for further reading.

Books for young people are facing, and meeting, the challenge of making the ordinary extraordinary.

Contact Fran Hawk at franbooks@yahoo.com.