Windows on the World

This annotated bibliography includes more than 100 "lead books" and 350 "related books" published or reissued within the last 10 years. Each main entry includes the usual information—genre, age level, helpful background material about the author and illustrator, placement on the USBBY Outstanding International Book List or other awards, a summary of the story, suggested classroom activities, and specific professional standards those activities might meet. The titles are organized in two broad sections—ages 4—8 and 8—12—and then more narrowly by continent (Africa, Asia); area (Middle East, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan); or country (Canada). However, teachers and librarians hoping for a genuine window into another culture will be disappointed to discover that the entries have been organized by the creator's nationality, not the topic. New Zealander Nic Bishop, for example, is represented by Backyard Detective, which features photographs of insects in this country. Similarly, Deborah Ruddell's poems about American woodland creatures, A Whiff of Pine, is a lead book under Africa because of the illustrator's South African nationality. Lead-book summaries vary in length and apparent intended audience. Related books, with more traditional annotations, may include titles by the same creators (sometimes earlier ones in a series), or books with a similar approach or setting. An appendix includes the main topics of national standards of several educational organizations, but not the detailed decimal-pointed subheadings listed under each entry. A wide-ranging but disappointing collection.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD