Australia to Zimbabwe: A Rhyming Romp Around the World to 24 Countries

Australia to Zimbabwe: A Rhyming Romp Around the World to 24 Countries

Readers will take a whirlwind romp around the globe with this award-winning A-Z children's geography book. Winner of the National Council on Geographic Education's GEM award and Foreword Reviews' INDIEFAB juvenile nonfiction book of the year, Australia to Zimbabwe  explores 24 different countries around the world through memorable rhymes, gorgeous photos, detailed maps and fun activities. The facts are styled in a creative and accessible way that can be brought into each child's home through crafts, recipes, games, and recommendations for music and books. Activities such as how to carve like a Zimbabwean sculptor, how to play the Danish game of cooperative tag, how to make Turkish meatballs, and how to make a boomerang will be intriguing for all ages. The contributions from embassies, educators, and photographers around the globe bring an authentic flavor to this groundbreaking geography book, enabling readers to experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of each country. Also great for parents and teachers, this book offers an abundance of ideas for international festivals, creative projects, and rainy days.  Australia to Zimbabwe  visits Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Haiti, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe.   Gr 5–8—An unusual look at a variety of nations around the world. The author has chosen one country for each letter of the alphabet, except for W (which stands for the world) and X (which marks the spot), keeping in mind region, culture, and size. Each chapter opens with a poem that's several stanzas in length. Foreign words in the rhymes appear in stylized bold font and are accompanied by the pronunciation in gray tones. Along with the verse, readers will also find relevant photos and an outline map of the country with major cities. Each chapter features a color copy of the flag and its history, a political map of the country and a world map showing its relative location, geographical data, a list of words and expressions in the native language, and a variety of photographs depicting sports, food, culture, animals, and social activities with detailed captions. Readers will also appreciate multiple examples of further reading, crafts, online activities, research, and a recipe for a native dish. VERDICT A good purchase for avid geography students, but perhaps even more useful for teachers needing classroom activities.—Eldon Younce, Anthony Public Library, KS " Australia to Zimbabwe is a fun, action and fact-packed virtual tour of 24 vital countries of the world that children in grades 3 and up, ages 8 and up, will enjoy and assimilate. ... Australia to Zimbabwe is a great contribution to students of global communities and global citizenship awareness." - Midwest Book Review " [The author's] love of travel and world cultures is evident, and she doesn't sidestep the colonialism and conflicts that are intrinsic to nations including Haiti, Mexico, and Vietnam. Ages 8-up. (Nov.)" -Publisher's Weekly "a fact-filled adventure around the globe. ... Australia to Zimbabwe is a fantastic stand-alone resource" -Gifted Homeschoolers Forum "bursting with information and photos. ...Students and instructors alike will find it interesting and informative" - VOYA " a delightful book that appeals to all ages... this treasure trove just begs the reader to keep exploring. ...Teachers, librarians, and parents alike should all be excited to get their hands on this book." -geographyeducation.org Why these 24 countries? There tend to be two types of geography books: books about one country or about every country. When atlases cover every country on earth, they don't have space to really explore any one. When books explore just one country, readers miss the chance to compare cultures and to discover places they never knew they were interested in. This book explores 24 countries (one for every letter of the alphabet except W and X).The countries were chosen to give a good overview of many of the different regions and cultures of the world. From some of the biggest countries to some of the smallest, from former empires to former colonies, each country has its own national story to tell and national treasures to share. Beyond visiting these 24 nations, this book aims to give readers the globetrotting skills and desire to keep traveling until they discover them all! Discover 24 countries through fun introductions to national treasures, customs & history! - Travel the world with music, recipes, games & crafts! - See the sights with over 1000 photos of people and places around the world! - Let your creativity go GLOBAL with over 30 projects to MAKE, create and investigate! - Travel to Australia - Brazil - China - Denmark - Ethiopia - France - Ghana - Haiti - India -Japan - Kazakhstan - Lebanon - Mexico - Nigeria - Oman - Peru - Qatar - Russia - Spain -Turkey - United Kingdom - Vie