Japan (True Books: Countries) [Paperback]

Ann Heinrichs (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: True Books: Countries

Introduces the history, geography, economy, people, and culture of the Land of the Rising Sun.

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?Serviceable titles for young report writers. The print is large and the information is up-to-date. Basic overviews are provided of of each country?geography, lifestyles, history, economy (including major crops, minerals, and manufactured goods), and arts and culture. Simple maps suitable for tracing are included. One might question the size of the Mexico City metropolitan area or the information on China's Great Wall, but these are minor quibbles. Coverage of Chinese history is very selective, the focus generally being on the later dynasties?the Mongols with Kublai Khan, the Ming, and the Manchu?and, of course, the Communists. In Japan, some subjects, such as history and the description of written Japanese language, suffer from the brevity of the coverage. Early rulers are described as coming from the Yamato region, but this area is not shown. Also, ruling families, such as the Yamato and Tokugawa, should not be pluralized by adding "s." Each spread usually has one-to-three full-color photographs and/or reproductions. The layouts are lackluster; pictures are often overlapped, with no clear differentiation between them. The appendix includes a very short glossary (six-to-eight words), some organizations to contact, and a listing of online sites. The last, unfortunately, are generally out-of-date or age inappropriate.?Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Review

"Completely redesigned and rewritten, these volumes in the Enchantment of the World series do more than give the popular series a facelift. Enticing covers provide a preview of the books' fine design, which includes numerous drawings, charts, maps, and photographs." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Children's Press(CT) (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051626172X
• ISBN-13: 978-0516261720
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Asia
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Asia > Japan
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Asia > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is better than the others now., May 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Japan Eow2 (Enchantment of the World, Second) (Library Binding)

I am a Japanese staying in the United States. I sought some information about Japan to introduce it to Americans. I found this book in the public library in my town. It was just one in the kids' corner that I could chose because rests of them are outdated or extremely curious for me. I think this has good photos. You can enjoy it not only kids but also adults.

But keep it mind that it is very difficult to explain one nation even if you know her very well. Can you explain the United States in one book? The author is a veteran writer. She wrote well in this book. But I think she doesn't know well in Japan and no native person check the contents of the book. If the writer would write something about one nation, readers tended to accept it. The writer wanted to inform special features in the nation, but it might truly be too special to the nation.

In this book I am sorry to say that I found many unsuitable expressions. I hope this book will be revised in the near future. I show two mistakes. One is a photo of the Ninja. The photo shows a fine armor. The Ninja was a kind of spy who did underground work, never wore armor. Some Ninja moves by Sho Kosugi are interesting for you, but he made the features of Ninja by his way. His Ninja was not correct historically. The second was an Emperor Hirohito's photo at the end of the book. It was a photo of Ryutaro Hashimoto, a prime minister in Japan at that time. I can laugh it only a mistake but it was quite a big mistake for conservative Japanese. I found more than 10 unsuitable expressions only I read half. But I will still recommend this book because it is better than the others now.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2006 revision much improved, July 18, 2006

By 

Cathy "Multicultural Book Reviewer" (Lincoln, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japan (Enchantment of the World, Second) (Library Binding)

The 2006 update of Japan (Enchantment of the world) by Ann Heinrichs has corrected the mistakes of past editions, added new information and updated the "To Find Out More" section. This edition is just right for school projects or as an overview for anyone wanting to know more about Japan.

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good start for Japan studies, May 24, 2000

By 

Roger Steinbach (IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japan Eow2 (Enchantment of the World, Second) (Library Binding)

I just recently became intrested in Japan, and this was the first book I found. This was incredibly informative, covering the geography to current culture. A very good start, or as a reference.