Informative non-fiction for the curious reader …

The World’s Top 500 Airports

By David Wragg

Haynes. $52.95 (Rating: Excellent)

Whether you are seasoned traveler or are just an aviation enthusiast, David Wragg’s “The World’s Top 500 Airports” is a reference book you will enjoy spending hours paging through.

You’ll find brief histories of each featured airport, details of runways and terminals, the number of passengers handled annually and aircraft movements.

The background information not only includes a little history and information on renovations but it also mentions the serious accidents or in some instances, terrorist incidents that have occurred at the facility. You’ll also find lists of the top 500 airports based on either passengers handled, cargo handled or aircraft movements.

IATA codes are also included as is a glossary of special terminology. Over thirty pages of color photos picture airfields and terminals from Denver, Chicago and Kansas City to Edinburgh, Scotland, Barcelona, Spain, and Brunei.

Whether you need the information for planning a trip or routing freight or are just curious about the features of various facilities, this is an excellent book to consult about many of the airports found around the globe.

 

The Art of Zentangle: 50 Inspiring Drawings, Designs & Ideas for the Meditative Artist

By Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas

Walter Foster Publishing. $19.95 (Rating-Excellent)

For those who have an artistic bent and also would like to try something different, the world of zentangle beckons. What is zentangle? It is a relaxing, contemplative and fun art form that employs structured and coordinated patterns as a means of creating beautiful and interesting pieces of art.

Created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, zentangle is “an elegant metaphor for deliberate artistry in life” and it “focuses on the process of art creation rather than the end result.”

After learning about a few basic tools and materials needed, the reader is ready to explore this unique artistic endeavor. From learning to create basic tangles and unique patterns, the tangler will move on to more challenging projects like tangled mandalas, funky wall art and more.

Follow the step-by-step instructions you find in the opening sections of the book and you’ll soon understand what strings are. Next, you will begin to master the ability to see patterns in everyday objects. Now you’ll be ready to really get into the heart of zentangle as you fashion whimsical creatures and other exotic drawings.

 

Exceptional Eye Tricks

By Brad Honeycutt

Imagine! Publishing. $9.95 (Rating-Very Good)

Leave this book out where guests can find it and it won’t take long before they are totally entranced by the illusions found here. Drawn from nature and art, these incredible images will amuse, amaze and confuse the viewer.

From ambiguous illusions and composite drawings to trompe l’oeil and masterly tricks of perspective, this collection will have you shaking your head in amazement.

“This book contains illusions from a variety of different artists, researchers, and photographers,’ writes Bead Honecutt in the introduction.

“These images have been categorized into chapters based on illusion type. Many of the images in this book contain elements of two (or more) of these categories…Regardless of their assigned category, the optical illusions presented in this book will hopefully perplex you and bring a smile to your face simultaneously.”

The chapters range from “Ambiguous,” “Impossible,” “Composite”, “Estimation: and ‘Trompe L’Oeil” to “Topsy-Turvy”, “Natural”, “Perspective’, and ‘Motion”. You’ll find a “Solutions” section and additional information on the featured selections at the back of the book.

As the author notes, ‘Illusions are also a good reminder that we do not see the world as it really exists, but rather as how we perceive it with our own eyes and biases.’ As you page through “Exceptional Eye Tricks” you’ll find ample proof of this observation!

 

A Girl’s Guide to Fitting in Fitness

By Erin Whitehead and Jennipher Walters

Zest Books. $12.99 (Rating-Good)

How can teens stay healthy and fit while still meeting all the obligations they have connected to school, work, activities with friends and time with family? Active teenage girls need a common sense plan that will enable them to eat healthy and exercise enough to maximize their potential in every phase of their lives.

Working out doesn’t have to be torture or boring and eating nourishing foods doesn’t mean consuming blah meals. In this handy book you’ll find workouts specifically designed for the morning, the school day and the weekend. Along with the list of suggestions are helpful illustrations that will show how to get the most out of every exercise.

Dietary advice is also part of the total package and you’ll discover how to eat right without depriving yourself of the foods you enjoy eating. You’ll also find sidebars filled with tips for healthier living and quotes from other teens about how they manage their routines.

The first few chapters of the book introduce all the fitness and health fundamentals the reader will need to know. There are motivational tips as well as ideas on how to fuel the body for everyday activities. Next, there are the specific workouts that will make getting and staying fit a joy rather than an onerous trial.

 

Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music

By Ana Gerhard

Illustrated by Cecilia Varela

Secret Mountain. $16.95 (Rating-Very Good)

What better way to introduce a child to classical music than by relating it to songbirds? Using the works of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and other famous composers, Ana Gerhard looks at the melodious similarities between notes produced by instruments such as the flute, the organ and the harpsichord and birds’ songs.

Twenty musical selections are discussed in this informative book and a CD offers excerpts from these works. The selections include “The Goldfinch” by Vivaldi, “The Bird” from “Peter and the Wolf” by Prokofiev, “Hens and Roosters” from “The Carnival of Animals” by Saint-Saens and Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.”

You’ll also find a “Listening Guide” which tells you more about each musical selection, a timeline that shows when the composers lived and short biographies of each composer.

A fun and informative book and CD, “Listen to the Birds” will provide plenty of musical enjoyment to not only children five years of age and older but also all members of the family. Bird lovers will also find this a wonderful addition to their libraries.