Zap!: Nikola Tesla Takes Charge

K-Gr 2—This informational picture book gives readers a small glimpse of Nikola Tesla's life and achievements—beginning with his journey to America (he was robbed on the ship over, but was still determined to meet the "'electrical wizard' of America," Thomas Edison), briefly going back to his childhood in Croatia and then continuing forward to cover his work for Edison and, later, Westinghouse. The bulk of the work focuses on the battle between Edison and Tesla over direct current (Edison) and alternating current (Tesla), culminating with Tesla's success in the World's Fair in Chicago and the generator at Niagara Falls. The last page of the story jumps forward two years, going from the 1896 opening of the hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls to Tesla's unveiling of his radio-controlled boat at the Electrical Exhibition in New York City in 1898. Considering that the majority of the book is centered on the power battle, this ending seems abrupt and unrelated. This title does well as a simple introduction to Tesla, though it lacks enough substance for reports.