The Travel Book - Not for Parents

December 1, 2011

Gr 4-6- With "Not-For-Parents" superimposed across the cover, this entry will lure certain readers in. Beginning in Canada and heading into the Southern hemisphere, linear readers will then go east to Europe and eventually wend south to Africa and then east again, ending in Tahiti and French Polynesia. Each country receives equal treatment, from tiny Eritrea to the world's superpowers. All are given a single page that includes a header with a consistently small map and basic information, plus the local word for "hello." The remainder of the page is a hodgepodge of unusual and odd tidbits about the country. Each page is composed mainly of briefly captioned illustrations and photos that often don't do justice to their subject. Topics include movie references, animals, transportation, music and instruments, natural resources, food, religion, history, and more. Some captions are emphasized in a color text box with a heading such as "Crazy Fact," "Hideous History," "Funky Food," "Amazing Animals," etc. A closing world map has an accompanying alphabetical list of countries with coordinates, but it is so small that individual countries are almost lost. The maps often have no reference points so orientation is difficult. Cities and regions are cited but not shown on the maps. The sometimes distorted information makes this a book strictly for browsing.-Carol S. Surges, Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

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