Japan (Country Topics for Craft Projects)

Offers a brief survey of Japanese history, culture, society, language, and character, and includes craft projects

Gr. 4^-6. The strength of this user-friendly guide, part of the Country Topics for Craft Projects series, is that it provides the kind of cultural particulars that are hard to find in comparable books. Unfortunately, both textual and visual information is sometimes sketchy or unclear. For instance, the section "Around Japan" states that Tokyo's tall skyscrapers are near Shinjuku, "the city's busiest station." Is that a bus, train, or subway station? In addition, a map that claims to show Japan's most important cities doesn't. And while a "sharp knife" is required to make radish flowers, safety precautions are not mentioned. Despite these shortcomings, this overview has a bustling, accessible format that combines brightly colored cartoons with formal photographs. The wealth of information about sports, food, language, holidays, the arts, poetry, and history leads right in to craft projects that should satisfy both teachers and students. Julie Corsaro