Mountain of Fire: Into the Heart of Volcanoes

Nicknamed the “Ash Hunter”, author Julie Roberge has been studying volcanoes for over 25 years. Mountain of Fire, translated from the French, highlights 22 volcanoes from all around the globe and beyond. Following a brief introduction and a chapter on volcano legends, the book is divided into seven sections, each of which covers major volcanoes from various areas: the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Antarctica and the Solar System. A few paragraphs are devoted to each volcano. Not only do the paragraphs discuss the devastation caused by some of the volcanic eruptions, but they also provide interesting details, such as the type of volcano and some its unique features. For example, on Cerro Negro in Nicaragua, thrill seekers enjoy volcano surfing (like snowboarding, but done on ash instead of snow); in Costa Rica, the active crater of the Irazú volcano has a beautiful acidic lake whose colour varies from blue to green; and Italy’s Mount Stromboli, nicknamed the Lighthouse of the Mediterranean, attracts many visitors by its breathtaking displays of nighttime eruptions that resemble fireworks. Readers might be surprised to learn that volcanoes exist on other planets and their moons. Located on Mars, the shield volcano, Olympus Mons, is three times the height of Mount Everest, while on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, the volcanoes eject cold liquids or frozen gases instead of lava.

The remainder of the book consists of three double-page spreads. There is information about how an eruption works, the founders of volcanology, and a few of the tools used in predicting eruptions or measuring volcanic gases. A table of contents, a glossary and an index are also included.

The text provides just enough information on specific volcanoes to sustain readers’ interest and introduces readers to terms such as monogenetic (referring to a volcano that has erupted only once), pyroclastic flows, maars (lake-filled craters), ice fumaroles (giant ice towers) and lava domes. Some minor flaws in the book: the title is a bit of a misnomer; some facts are repeated; and the section about how a volcano works should be near the beginning of the book, preceding the information about the specific volcanoes. As well, some of the book’s vocabulary is above the level of the younger readers in the target audience while its large size and juvenile appearance might be a deterrent to older readers.
Bold illustrations, rendered in graphic design style, offer a minimal, but vibrant, colour palette and the simplest of details. (In fact, this book could be used in an art lesson about graphic design and how to distill details to their simplest form without sacrificing the message in the illustration.) Maps and a diagram are also included.