Russia the Culture

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-In each volume, short chapters with many photographs or illustrations introduce readers to Russia. A few topics, such as basic history and information about the people, are covered in each book but in varying formats. Land focuses on the geography of the country and concludes with a chapter on Russians in space. Unfortunately, this is the only volume that includes a map. Readers of People must search elsewhere to locate the places identified with the men, women, and children featured in the photos. In addition, the history section in this volume has some misleading oversimplifications. For example, the section on the czars leaves the impression that Russia had no mines, factories, or railroads until the Soviet period. It also contains a serious directional error in describing Russia as stretching "from Eastern Europe west to the Pacific Ocean." Then, in "Going to school," the text states that children "learn mathematics, physical education, and history." What about reading and writing? These careless statements mar an otherwise useful volume with good information on daily life. Topics ranging from religious holidays to the circus are presented in Culture, which, like the rest of the set, does not neglect the country's minority ethnic groups. The only drawback is some odd transliterations of Russian names and terms. None of the books have pronunciation guides or lists of suggested readings.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|