Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts (-) by Jessica Kulekjian, Zoe Si
Published by Kids Can Press ISBN: 1525306499
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

The story of a volcanic eruption told from the point of view of the volcano. The volcano’s voice is quite poetic – “A little whisper hisses through my magma chamber.”  And “My bubbles boil, pop and burst. I shout … “KABOOM!” The cartoon illustrations of a volcano, especially the one that looks like he is trying not to vomit,  are amusing. The aside narrations from a red bird are displayed with speech bubbles and offers more scientific explanations. e.g. “Pee-ew! Hot stinky gases beneath the volcano push melted rock, called magma, into a pool known as the magma chamber.”  The playful tone of this informational book makes it a good choice to read aloud, although I would read the volcano’s story through, and then go back and read the red bird’s more scientific additions. The four pages in the back also add scientific facts: Phases of Volcanoes, Anatomy of a Volcano, Common Types of Volcanoes, and Author’s Selected Sources. Overall, a splendid introduction to volcanoes for kindergarten – third graders.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library