Looking at China

Gr 2-4-These titles are similar to those in the "True Books" series (Children's Press) but are less detailed. The texts are simple and sparse. Blue text boxes labeled "Did you know?" offer brief factoids throughout the books. Vibrant color photographs appear on every page. Topics include location (including a couple of simple maps), the landscape, weather and seasons, the people, school and family, country and city life, houses, work, and fun. Lots of facts such as type of government, how the country is divided into regions, currency, and population are included. There is also a blank map of the country, with instructions to trace or photocopy it, and a list of places and items to fill in. With the wealth of other information available, these titles will serve as additional purchases for larger collections, and they're more suited to browsing than reports due to the limited content.-DeAnn Okamura, San Mateo County Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.