Scholastic Canada Children’s Atlas of the World (New Edition)

Designed for elementary school children, the Scholastic Canada Children’s Atlas of the World is more than just a collection of maps. Its introductory chapter explains how to use the atlas, the map key (colours and symbols), Earth’s position in the Solar System, climate, land cover (some examples of which are tropical broadleaf forests, savannahs and deserts), population, world flags and capital cities. There are three large world maps, the first of which appears on the end papers and depicts the continents. The second shows the physical features of each continent while the third one shows the countries of the world. Land cover and population density are shown in a couple of smaller maps. Colours chosen for the physical features are very subtle in their differences which might make it a little difficult for first-time atlas readers to distinguish among them, and the legend is not repeated on the map pages in the remainder of the book. Longitude and latitude should have been explained in greater detail with respect to using coordinates to locate places, and the term “prime meridian” is never mentioned. The authors also assume that young children know how to measure distance using a space bar.

Following the introduction, the book is divided into seven chapters, one for each continent (Antarctica and the Arctic are grouped together, even though the Arctic is not a continent). Continents are broken up into regions, such as Southwest Asia, with a double-page spread devoted to each one. Each double-page spread consists of a map of the country or region, its location on the globe, flags of the nations, photographs, “Did You Know?” fact boxes, and grid letters and numbers for ease of locating specific cities and towns (though it is doubtful that this last feature will be used much by young children). The text describes the climate, flora and fauna, and some of the natural resources and industries of the country or area. Occasionally, the text mentions specific festivals, sports and famous structures. Interesting facts will keep readers engaged. (A few facts that kids might find interesting are that Angel Falls in Venezuela is 19 times higher than Niagara Falls; the Amazon rainforest is over half the size of the U.S.; and that the oceans on either side of Central America are at different levels.)

The main flaw in this book is that the layout is very crowded and busy, some spreads more so than others. However, the book is bright and colourful and will likely appeal to the young reader. Abundant photographs and trivia also add to the book’s appeal.

A table of contents and two indices are included in Scholastic Canada Children’s Atlas of the World . The first index is a guide to place names in the atlas and provides their page number and location on the map while the second is a general index of the book’s topics.