Indonesia

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

The more than 13,000 islands of Indonesia are scattered like pieces of a puzzle from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. So too is a diverse culture of people dispersed over the islands in this fourth most populous country in the world. Such diversity is evident in the more than 300 ethnic groups with 250 distinct languages, and numerous festivals and arts reflective of the disparate religions of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. From the tribal villages of Irian Jaya to the westernized capital of Jakarta, from beautiful beaches to tropical forests to volcanic mountains, from the vacation paradise of Bali to the riot-prone East Timor, there are surprises. Since 1945, however, all has been governed as one nation whose political and economic ups and downs have been of vital concern to the rest of the world. This valuable source book neatly pulls together the many facets of the archipelago's makeup. The book first presents an overview, followed by a closer look, and finally an examination of the country's relations with North America. The abundant colorful photographs, maps (one blank to test the student's memory), fact page, Indonesian and English glossary, reference page, and index round out this study in the "Countries of the World" series. 2000, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Ages 12 up, $26.60. Reviewer: Carol Raker Collins

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-These books give detailed explanations of the countries' geography, history, government, economy, religion, cultural aspects, and major sites of interest. Chock-full of valuable information, they are accompanied by lively, bright, and glossy photographs. Both reveal the mixture of traditional and contemporary life that permeates these societies. An "at a glance" page gives fast facts about the country. The glossary is especially useful as it has an explanation of unfamiliar English words, as well as those in the particular country's language. However, a pronunciation guide for the word "Myanmar" is never given. Also, in Indonesia, names such as Megawati Sukarnoputri lack pronunciation guidance. Despite this inconsistency, readers will be rewarded with a sense of the past experiences that these countries endured and an up-to-date perspective of their current situations.-Alida F. Given, Fairhope Intermediate School, AL Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.