Africa

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-With their limited information, these books offer superficial views of the continents. Each title begins with a general introduction to the Earth's geography that briefly discusses the original landmass, Pangaea, and the movement of the Earth's plates. The next section is devoted to the prehistoric plants and animals of the featured continent. Lesser-known dinosaurs are mentioned, but there is no pronunciation guide. The chapter "How to Read a Map" mentions basic features such as legend, compass rose, and lines of longitude and latitude. It is followed by a discussion of the continent's physical features. Subsequent sections mention the countries found on the continent, climatic features, plants and animals, agriculture and industry, and people and religions. The final section is devoted to a scientist: Theonest Mutabingwa, who does research on malaria (Africa); Dong Zhiming, a paleontologist (Asia); and Guillermo Cock, an archaeologist (South America). On each spread, a page of large-type, simple text faces a map or photo. The maps are mediocre, sometimes lacking in legend information or enough difference in typeface to distinguish between the name of the country and its capital. Some photos are too indistinct to be valuable. Children who are sophisticated enough to want to read about the continents will not find these offerings very satisfying.-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.