From School Library Journal
Gr 5-8--Both titles briefly cover history, government, economy, and geography; however, their strength is in their coverage of contemporary culture. Particularly useful is the information on religion, the arts, food, leisure activities, and social roles. The books have great visual appeal with excellent full-color photographs on every page. Ecuador is especially successful in explaining social and economic hierarchies within the country. The cultures of the indigenous populations, blacks, mestizos, Hispanics, and other immigrants are discussed. The author describes how members within each group relate to one another and how these diverse cultures create the ``hierarchical pyramid'' that is Ecuadorian society. Portugal effectively presents details of everyday life, but suffers from a lack of organization when covering history and government. Information on particular topics such as the Moors, the Revolution of 1974, and the European Community is scattered under various headings throughout the book. While it is helpful to see these topics in different contexts, readers are forced to page through each chapter in search of a complete picture and adequate explanations. Several errors in the index add to the challenge. (One error was found in Ecuador's index, as well.) Glossaries are minimal; fortunately most vocabulary is defined in context. Ecuador is the more distinctive of this pair, but both provide more contemporary cultural information than entries in the ``Enchantment of the World'' (Childrens), ``In Pictures'' (Lerner), and ``Let's Visit'' (Burke) series.
Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate Library Binding edition.
