ADVENTURES IN EVOLUTION.

In Reading the Earth: A Story of Wildness (Berkeley Hills Books, $16), a delightful children's picture book, the late David R. Brower--co-author and acclaimed environmentalist--journeys back through time with his young companions to the world's genesis. With Brower acting as guide, elder and. sage, the children witness the miraculous parade of evolution. Their six-day adventure commences with volcanic activity, water and microscopic creatures continues through the age of dinosaurs and closes with human activity and a planet in danger. Aleks Petrovitch's clever illustrations emphasize a reverence for the wildness of the generous planet that is out home.