New Zealand

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. New Zealand's beauty takes center stage in this volume, but the description of its government can be a bit confusing: the governor-general stands in for the Queen of England, but what that means is not clear. (Prince Charles, meanwhile, is not identified in the accompanying photo.) 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.)

July 1, 2015
The series boilerplate includes double-page spreads about "Important Cities," "Earning a Living," "Life in New Zealand," etc., each illustrated with good color photos. While the text includes the most significant basic facts about the country, it is choppy and at times fatuous: "Today, Maori people sometimes perform dances." A link leads to the publisher's website. Timeline. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)