by Heather Alexander (Author) Meredith Hamilton (Illustrator)
Readers ages 9 to 12 will travel around the globe, from Greenland to Tasmania, learning the locations and characteristics of continents, countries, and states and provinces in this lively introduction to our world, its geography, culture, and people.
Starting with the basics hemispheres, latitude and longitude, continental drift, map notation, landforms, population density, and more the book gives kids a solid foundation to begin exploring world geography. Each section profiles a different continent, including climates and biomes (tundra, grasslands, etc.), mountain ranges and bodies of water, people and cultures, governments and industries, wildlife, and much more. And sidebars throughout offer biographies of explorers, fun facts, and projects kids can do with parents or on their own. The book also includes a pop-up paper globe and reusable stickers.
With 150 charming, original watercolor illustrations, A Child's Introduction to the World is an entertaining and comprehensive overview of our fascinating planet.
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Globalization is integral to today’s society, and everyone, children and adults, needs a better sense of geography, but this atlas with old-fashioned watercolor illustrations and painted maps that are difficult to read is not the best way for kids to learn. It includes tidbits of information about history, holidays, inventions and foods, but it lacks area and population figures. Children in the middle-elementary grades need clear maps and photos to gain a sense of reality about the world. Warm fuzzy feelings (“Nature has given our planet amazing landforms”) and disparate fun facts have a place, but unfortunately this “introduction,” with its pop-up globe and stickers (not seen, but they may be the best part of the package) does little to de-romanticize the world’s cultures (in Ho Chi Minh City, “people ride bicycles instead of driving cars”). This oversimplified approach may work in other books in the A Child’s Introduction to… series, but in this subject area, The National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers (2007) is a better choice for home, schools and public libraries. (bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)