One of titles in the "Exploring Countries" series, this book engages readers with colorful photos and maps. At Level 5 in the Blastoff! Readers series, these books are at the highest fluency level for this age range, where more text appears on each page, and new topics—such as countries they have not yet studied—are introduced to readers. The text works with the images on each spread to engage readers, taking them on a tour through the geography, culture, history, and background facts about the country. Simmons has selected some of the most interesting information about Vietnam to include, such as its many mountains and rivers, varieties of martial arts, typical foods such as Pho, and important holidays such as the Vietnamese New Year, called Tet. The layout includes large and small images on each spread, along with "Fun Fact" and "Did You Know" text boxes peppered throughout. Sections about daily life and going to school in Vietnam will particularly appeal to young readers. Glossary terms appear in bold and are well-defined in the back of the book for reference, and a helpful index in the back of the book is also included. Overall, this book includes some great information for young readers who would like to jump-start their knowledge about life in Vietnam. Reviewer: Kip Wilson
Gr 2–5—These easy-to-read titles open with a very basic map and then go on to describe the country's geography, wildlife, and people. Crisp, colorful photographs are large and plentiful, and the texts provide sidebars of information. The writing is clear and simple without being simplistic, making the books useful starting points for primary students doing research. One drawback is the omission of a chapter on history. Egypt does include a brief mention of "ancient Egypt," while Vietnam has a few sentences about being a Communist country. Libraries that already own other simple nonfiction country books, such as the "Welcome to the World" series (The Child's World) and the "Fact Finders: Questions and Answers, Countries" series (Capstone), might not need these, unless there is a strong demand.—Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, Dix Hills, NY
