Editorial Review

Amusement-park rides, buildings, skyscrapers, and sports stadiums. No big deal, right? But the So Big Compared to What? series looks at extreme versions of these commonplace structures. Amazing Amusement Park Rides are not for the weak-stomached; riders of the Steel Dragon 2000 roller coaster in Mie, Japan, travel at speeds up to 95 miles per hour. The structures in Freaky-Strange Buildings include the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, which sits on a man-made island and was constructed to resemble the sail of an Arabic boat, or dhow. There are some truly Spectacular Skyscrapers out there, including the Shanghai World Financial Center in China, which is 1,614 feet tall—the equivalent of 100 stacked giraffes. The Marina Bay Floating Stadium, one of the Stupendous Sports Stadiums in the world, boasts a stadium field that sits atop 15 floating pontoons in Singapore’s harbor. In addition to a paragraph of information, each of the entries (eight per book) includes date of opening, location, height, and noteworthy feature. The colorful photos are fun to examine, and cloudy-sky backgrounds on each page enhance the larger-than-life feel. There are thought bubbles, stat boxes, and size comparisons throughout, making this series particularly child-friendly. Back matter includes additional examples of adjective-worthy rides and structures, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading.