Japan Egypt Vietnam

Gr 2—5—These easy-to-read titles open with a very basic map and then go on to describe the country's geography, wildlife, and people. Crisp, colorful photographs are large and plentiful, and the texts provide sidebars of information. The writing is clear and simple without being simplistic, making the books useful starting points for primary students doing research. One drawback is the omission of a chapter on history. Egypt does include a brief mention of "ancient Egypt," while Vietnam has a few sentences about being a Communist country. Libraries that already own other simple nonfiction country books, such as the "Welcome to the World" series (The Child's World) and the "Fact Finders: Questions and Answers, Countries" series (Capstone), might not need these, unless there is a strong demand.—Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, Dix Hills, NY