Canute and the Vikings

School Library Journal

ea. vol: maps. reprods. bibliog. chron. glossary. index. (Life and Times Bks.). Bookwright Pr, dist. by Watts. Sept. 1985. PLB $10.90. Gr 4-8 Libraries having Sandak's Explorers and Discovery (Watts, 1983) and the several other available books on Vikings will want to skip these two unless there is a great demand for information on these topics. Those looking for material exclusively on Columbus should stick with d'Aulaire's Christopher Columbus (Doubleday, 1955; o.p.) or Jean Fritz's Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? (Putnam, 1980). These new offerings are divided into one- or two-page chapters with color illustrations on every page. Too blandly written for recreational reading, they would be most useful for students doing reports. However, they are not comprehensive, and they presuppose a cursory background knowledge. Diane Pozar, Morse Elementary School, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.