Countries Set 2 (AK)

The large, landscape format of the Countries series lends itself to big photo illustrations that arc gently out from the pages they fill, nudging into each spread’s neighboring page. The empty portion of that page is defined by white space and a two-to-four sentence paragraph printed with widely spaced lines and a large font. Bold, colorful headings clearly divide each book’s contents into six sections. Some of these appear in every book (a country overview, its geography, and “Awesome Landmarks”), while other sections vary, covering topics like animals, food, famous people, and sports. Argentina takes readers to South America, where they can explore the Pampas and Patagonia and rub shoulders with Lionel Messi. In Italy, readers will drool over gelato and see such famous sites as the Colosseum and Saint Peter’s Basilica. Iconic African animals appear in Kenya, which also highlights the country’s ethnic groups, like the Kikuyu and Maasai. New Zealand spotlights this Pacific Island nation’s impressive natural features (volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, glaciers) and the popularity of sports, like cricket and rugby. Each volume includes a clear map positioning its country on the globe, with neighboring countries labeled and standard features (table of contents, glossary, index) to help familiarize young learners to the nonfiction format. Appealing snapshots of the wider world.

—Countries Set 2, Booklist (Oct 2022)

Worldly readers will learn about important cultural and geological features of some great countries. From the common foods people eat to exciting things to see and do, these books are packed with beginner information and beautiful photographs. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Abdo Kids Jumbo is an imprint of Abdo Kids, a division of ABDO.