The Aboriginal Peoples of Australia (First Peoples) [Hardcover]

Anne Bartlett (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-These books focus on the indigenous people of Australia and East Africa. Appealing cover photographs feature an adult and child and the pages are framed to create a photo-album look. The texts begin with information on the land, plants, and animals to set a framework for how people live before moving on to history and current cultural practices (home life, music and dance, crafts, language, and religion). Bartlett provides a fairly straightforward look at the treatment of Aboriginal peoples by the Australian government and the measures that have been taken to restore tribal rights, land, and relationships. The focus on Masai life centers a bit more on the land, animals, and early inhabitants of the area. Although the texts do not provide enough information for in-depth reports, the colorful pictures are intriguing. Unfortunately, there are no pronunciation guides. Libraries that need to fill collection gaps would do well to consider these titles.
Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Lisa McQuail's The Masai of Africa.

Gr. 4-7. Lerner's new First Peoples series focuses on the history and cultural practices of indigenous peoples around the world. These titles feature one topic per spread and nice quality color photos as well as background information about the flora and fauna of the regions. Bartlett's book frankly discusses the historic and current relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Australian government, followed by descriptions of cultural practices, both traditional and modern, neatly divided into categories. McQuail's book, the weaker of the two, follows a more haphazard organization, glosses over colonial rule, and emphasizes the lives of boys slightly more than the lives of girls. Even so, there are plenty of cultural details and photos to grab readers' attention or support basic reports. Both volumes offer satisfactory introductions that can lead interested students on to more detailed material. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publications (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822548542
• ISBN-13: 978-0822548546
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Australia & Oceania

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