This Place Is Crowded: Japan

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-- Crowded indeed: readers learn that Japan is as populated as Montana would be if half the people of the U. S. moved there. Such comparisons give youngsters a good starting point. The impact of geography on culture comes across loud and clear: festivals and lore of this island country are explained, and efforts to conserve resources are highlighted. Life at home, school, and work is described. The overriding pressure to conform and remain in harmony with people and nature is also covered. Politics, culture, and architecture are intertwined. Those familiar with this series will recognize Lavallee's art that lights up the pages with accurate and expressive images; the spreads are luminous, intense, and beautifully designed. Her border for the text on home life is a row of sandals, and she balances the pages on gardens with stone lanterns. Children can find facts in Jim Haskin's Count Your Way through Japan (Carolrhoda, 1987) and a textbook approach in Elkin's A Family in Japan (Lerner, 1987), but they don't compare to the vivacity here.-- Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA

Deborah Abbott

This intrepid author/illustrator duo travels to Japan in the sixth book of their Imagine Living Here series. Focusing on the concept of space, the volume provides basic information about the topography, volcanic activity, agriculture, fishing industry, homes, manners, entertainment, gardens, history, education, employment, transportation, and pollution of the small, highly populated nation of islands. Although fascinating tidbits are sure to stimulate readers (the development of a high-speed, wheel-less train that will travel at 310 m.p.h.; a sumo wrestler's automatically losing his bout should his belt fall off), many statements require further explanation "But the Japanese don't mind overcrowding. In fact, they say that their most important product is people." Why? "About half the farmland is used to grow rice." What about the other half? The colorful illustrations add zest to the text and show many aspects of a refined and intriguing culture. With neither a table of contents nor an index, though, the book is best for browsing.