April 1, 2023
Gr 2-4-This very easy series, featuring a few compact sentences per page and aimed at young students just starting to learn about the world, provides basic information, though probably not enough for rudimentary reports. However, students will get a glimpse of nations across the globe. Commendably, the volumes foster positive perspectives of the countries and develop respectful "they're like me" viewpoints. Titles provide strong visual support, with high-quality, color (usually captioned) photos on every page, featuring landscapes, national foods, animals, and people-frequently portraying children and families (often intergenerational), looking directly at readers and engaging in relatable activities. Main topics covered are: "All About" the featured country; "Land and Animals" (geography, weather, native wildlife-with pictorial chart); and "Life in..." (residences/where citizens live, language(s) spoken, ancestry, religions(s), sports/recreational activities, foods-pictured, festivals/holidays, customs). New vocabulary is in bold and defined in the glossary (no pronunciation guidance); some unfamiliar words are defined through text or photos. Each book teaches how to say and pronounce "hello" in the nation's language. The series is visually striking, with colorful covers and text printed against yellow, orange, or green backgrounds. Volumes include maps depicting nations' exact locations and relative positions in the world. Sidebars provide helpful additional information. Besides the glossary, To Learn More (a bibliography of books and the publisher's website), and an index, useful back matter material includes a country facts chart with information such as the country's current census data, national holiday, national language, capital city, a notable citizen, and national flag; other charts depict the nation's major religions, noting percentages of practitioners, and some major landmarks. VERDICT Recommended for school and public collections. Encourage students to practice saying "hello" in the different languages and/or to create the national flags to display in classrooms/libraries.
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.