Gymnastics

by Bobbie Kalman and Tammy Everts

Ever since watching the Olympics my daughter has been really interested in gymnastics. So we got a few library books on the subject. This one is fairly simple and straightforward. It describes the different events, notes the importance of warming up properly, working safely and eating healthy. In the back is a little "bio" page highlighting several of the young gymnasts pictured in the book, and a picture index. The photographs are brightly colored, with bold geometric shapes splashed across the pages which accent them and make it feel more exciting and fun. Some of the photos are rather poor, though, and a lot of them have a rainbow-colored cloth backdrop, which made it difficult to see other parts of the picture, like the equipment the gymnasts were using. My daughter kept asking "what are they doing?" and I often couldn't answer. Clearer photos and better descriptive captions would have enhanced this book a lot.

Rating: 2/5                    32 pages, 1997