Zimbabwe

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-- A brief introduction to the land and people of Zimbabwe. Divided into short chapters, it gives a historical survey and information on vegetation, climate, animal life, education, living conditions, sports, and other aspects of daily life. Unfortunately, the somewhat simplistic account of the colonial period becomes misleading. Some of the problems include: no mention of any political resistance before the 1970s; no mention of the names of the major organizations involved in the liberation war (ZANU and ZAPU); and the mention of only white refugees of the war. The account of first the failed internal settlement and then the successful peace settlement is confusing. There are also several inaccuracies. In addition, public school education before 1980 is incorrectly said to have been for whites only. The full-color photographs are clear and reasonably current, and show some of the contrasts of life in Zimbabwe. The index is adequate, but some glossary explanations will be mystifying for the intended readership. In such a short text Jacobsen is unable to address the perplexing issues of the society in a way that would make them interesting. In spite of the problems addressed above, the book may fill a need for information on this level. --Susan Giffard, Englewood Public Library, NJ