Pakistan

October 15, 2014
Grades 1-3 The Explore the Countries series offers primary-graders an introductory look at countries around the world. The books briefly hit the high points: the countries' geography, major cities, and history, and show readers how residents work and spend their leisure time. Each topic earns two or three pages, with typically a couple of paragraphs per page in a good-size typeface, bolstered by appealing color photographs. Pakistan gets an optimistic take, with virtually no mention of unrest, and although the intent is clearly to point to the positive, it does seem odd that the way Benazir Bhutto died is described as merely an explosion by her car. The books all have small time lines, introduce famous faces, and are an overall solid entry point to learning about disparate, interesting places.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)