North and South Korea ANNOTATION
Looks at the literature, arts, architecture, and general culture of the countries of North and South Korea.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Jeanne K. Pettenati, J.D.
Readers get a sense of the history and rich cultural traditions of both North and South Korea with this excellent text designed for elementary school children. Bright color photos of food, festivals, crafts and monuments enhance a straightforward, but sophisticated text. There are nine chapters, including ones devoted to Korean literature, costumes and clothing, performing arts, everyday life in North Korea, and film and television. Throughout each chapter are sidebars explaining important topics in more detail. Although much of the material presented will be new to some readers, it is broken into manageable chunks and highlighted with impressive photos. The information is packaged in an attractive format: with a colorful border on each page, new vocabulary highlighted in bold, and bold captions for photos. This title in the publisher's "Culture in..." series contains a glossary, index, and section on further reading at the back of the book. It is recommended for both home and elementary school libraries. 2004, Raintree/Reed Elsevier, Ages 8 to 12.
School Library Journal
Gr 4-8-In one or two pages, these titles perfunctorily cover history, everyday life, traditions, clothing, food, performing arts, literature, film and TV industries, and arts and crafts. The information is oversimplified and often downright erroneous. China, for example, gives the length of the 4500-mile-long Great Wall as 3750 feet, just under three-quarters of a mile; and the map has reversed the colors for the provinces and autonomous regions. In one sentence, Korea mentions the Koryo Dynasty (the usual spelling) and in another calls it the Goryeo Dynasty. The basic text on the various art forms is somewhat better presented, but the numerous names of individuals, books, and movies can be overwhelming. And surely Korea's Crane Dance mimics not "the graceful movements of two white herons," but of two cranes, birds found in Korea. The attractive layouts featuring full-color photographs and page borders with traditional designs cannot begin to compensate for the inadequacies of the texts.-Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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