China

November 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-Large, vibrant photos, many of children, are the strongest element of this attractive series. Clean layouts feature captioned double- or full-page photos and two to three sentences of simple text. Books open with a locator map and population statistics, and while topics vary somewhat by country, they generally include landforms, interesting animals, cities, crops, history, foods, and celebrations. The titles also feature a page with two simple words or phrases in the nation's language and conclude with a brief "Fast Facts" summary page. Coverage is upbeat and emphasizes the country's land, people, and animals rather than governments and institutions. VERDICT These offerings celebrate diversity and introduce nations that have strong ties with our own, making them good purchase choices.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
In a visually attractive but superficial introductory series, each volume begins with fairly vague descriptive words (e.g., "Colorful," "Busy," "Beautiful") paired with bright photos. A smattering of facts about geography, animals, history, language, jobs, culture, and food follow, accompanied by engaging photos. The great geographic and ethnic diversity of many of these countries is barely mentioned. "Fast facts" appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2019

K-Gr 3-Did you know that Canada is home to about 35 million residents? Or that Brazilians eat chocolate candies called "brigadeiros"? These books about Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and China are packed with fun facts about food, traditions, geography, festivals, and more. Full-page photographs, drawings, maps, and diagrams provide visual context. Notably, this series mentions the presence of Native peoples and an introduction to the process of colonization in North and South America in a way that's understandable for young readers. In the book about Canada, ethnic and racial diversity is represented. Collection developers should be aware that purchase options vary for this series: The Spanish series includes a total of 11 volumes, while the English version includes 74, making language representation a bit lopsided. VERDICT Content is concise and up-to-date, but may not be comprehensive enough for large collections.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.