The Children of Nepal

This book will make readers fall in love with Nepal.

Fifty-nine full-color photographs provide a dazzling introduction to the home of Mt. Everest and the abominable snowman. Through the book, readers learn the way a traveler does: by marveling at the beauty of a place and its people. The book opens with some brief remarks on geography and history, then touches upon daily life, ethnic identity, religion, dress, health, education, farming, and wildlife. The topics never arise in the abstract, but always link up with a person--often a child, who is pictured in an appealing close-up. A page of facts, a pronunciation guide, and an index round out the presentation. The text is clear and succinct, but the large, full-page illustrations lack captions; at times readers will miss the information they could provide. This book is intended for primary-grade children and, like Keith Lye's Take a Trip to Nepal (Watts, 1988), it provides only the sketchiest facts about the country. Nonetheless, its outstanding photographs deserve viewing by a large audience.