Toys

Children's Literature

Toys is an attractive volume in the "Crafts of Many Cultures" series, which describes a variety of crafts from peoples of many geographic areas. Young readers and adults will find historical information about the folk arts as well as directions for making some items themselves. Parents or teachers will need to help in both assembling and using the materials and tools listed at the beginning of the book. Toys features intriguing color pictures (with a small map showing the region of origin) and directions for making twelve toys, from simple painted rock creatures from Haiti to much more complex wire toys from Zimbabwe. Many of them are quite charming; for example, the brightly painted aardvark with a bobbing head, the red wriggly snake, matryoshka dolls from Belarus, and a wire bicycle drummer (definitely advanced). Although the toys will surely appeal to younger children, making them requires fairly sophisticated hand and eye coordination; adults will need to help with such tools as hammers, hand drills, varnish, and craft knives. Older students with some experience may be able to complete a few, but most should be done with direction and supervision at home or in art and social studies classes. Adult artists, too, can enjoy creating gifts or objects of folk art inspired by these designs. Each volume has a glossary listing books and websites with further information on making traditional toys. 2004 (orig. 1995), Gareth Stevens, Ages 8 up.
—Barbara L. Talcroft