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CM . . . . Volume XVII Number 2. . . .September 10, 2010. 
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Iraq: The Land. (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series). Rev. Ed.
April Fast.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.) $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-9649-7 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-9279-6 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Iraq-Description and travel-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-8 / Ages 9-13.
Review by Sherry Faller.
***/4
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Iraq: The People. (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series). Rev. Ed.
April Fast.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.) $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-9650-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-9280-2 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Iraq-Social conditions-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-8 / Ages 9-13.
Review by Sherry Faller.
***/4
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Iraq: The Culture. (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series). Rev. Ed.
April Fast.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.) $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-9651-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-9281-9 (RLB.).
Subject Headings:
Iraq-Social life and customs-Juvenile literature.
Iraq-Civilization-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-8 / Ages 9-13.
Review by Sherry Faller.
***/4
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excerpt:
Theater was a popular form of entertainment before the Ba’th Party came to power, but it was heavily censored under Saddam Hussein. During his rule, plays could only be performed if they praised Hussein. Today, groups such as Baghdad’s National Theater Company are hoping to bring plays about a range of topics back to the Iraqi people. Children’s puppet plays are being enjoyed at festivals and special celebrations throughout the countryside. One popular puppet play is Layla and the Wolf, a version of Little Red Riding Hood. (From Iraq: The Culture.)
Bobbie Kalman’s team of researchers and editors has done another great job of revising their previous works. This series of books about Iraq portrays the Iraqi people and land in a different perspective from what we see on the news. These updated editions have retained many of the coloured photos and text from the previous editions. The difference is mainly in the references to Saddam Hussein and how the country is rebuilding since the end of his rule. The series is an excellent resource for research or for general interest in this diversified country. The format style is the same as all the other books in the country series.
Iraq: The Land explains how the people thrive between the two major rivers that pass through the country, the Tigris and Euphrates. In a desert land such as this, water is a resource to fight over. The history of the Bible comes to mind while reading about the ancient name places.
Iraq: The People explains the country’s turbulent past. From its beginning as Mesopotamia, Iraq has been invaded and ruled by many foreign peoples. The section about how the land was destroyed in many regions in order to flush out those who opposed Hussein is particularly poignant. Photos of women out in public wearing headscarves, but not covering their faces, demonstrate the freedoms these Arab women enjoy.
Iraq: The Culture explains the many religious groups and their customs which are very similar to those found in Iran, their neighbor. Music, dance and theater have gained more freedom since the fall of Hussein’s rule. Art, from beautiful miniature paintings, weavings, and metal works to architecture from the past and the present, is displayed. The Kurdish people, while traditionally shunned and tormented, have been able to maintain their culture in the area assigned to them, the Kurdish Automomous Region.
In conclusion, this series is not very different from previous editions but would be a wonderful addition to any school library.
Recommended.
Sherry Faller is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to
cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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