Peoples of the Desert

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4These small books offer a surprising amount of information in a readable, if somewhat dry, large-print text. Each title begins with a definition of an environment (desert, mountain, savanna), followed by an introduction to two or three cultural groups who live there. Desert takes a brief look at the lives of the Tuareg people of the Sahara and the San people of the Kalahari. Mountains describes the Ladakhi of the Himalayas; the Aymara, who live in the Andes; and the Miao, who reside mainly in the mountains of China. Savanna looks at the Fulani of West Africa, the Maasai of East Africa, and the Herero of Southern Africa. In each book, the author discusses different aspects of living in each region, including food, clothing, homes, work, etc. Brief facts about each cultural group are woven into the text. Some students may find this organization confusing as they try to keep track of the different peoples. Still, these are welcome resources about several of the lesser-known groups. Simple sentence structure and numerous full-page, full-colored photographs make these books useful for young researchers.Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL