France

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3Attractive, functional introductions. Through a series of postcards written by fictional children visiting France, Mexico, and Russia, young readers are given a quick overview of these countries. The left side of each double-page spread shows a full-color postcard picture and caption. The right side contains a young tourist's brief message home, printed in large, easy-to-read type. Postscripts add factual information that the child has obtained from an adult (e.g., "Mom says . . . "). Using this format, each book presents glimpses of food, shopping, transportation, holidays, money, languages, etc. The first postcard is a map of the country, along with its flag. Contemporary culture receives the most coverage, but some historical events and sites are mentioned. Words printed in boldface are listed in the glossary. These books are easier to read and lighter in content than the "New True Books" (Childrens) and "Take a Trip to" series (Watts).Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ