Australia

Gr 4–7—Attractive photos, well matched with the text, are the strongest element of this set. The books all share a common format, beginning with an introductory photo and description of an iconic location, such as the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, or Stonehenge. Additional spreads locate each country and describe its landscape and climate, wildlife, population, schools, sports, foods, and celebrations, with content that is generally positive about it and its people. A "Fact Page" adds statistics, and directions for a children's game that is popular in the country and a recipe for a traditional dish are pluses. Most of the content is standard geographic information, but the text is occasionally vague to a fault. ("Small populations of First Nations and Inuit people also call Canada home"—can a million-plus people be considered "small"?).