Canada (Festivals of the World)

Marshall Cavendish is a Marshall Cavendish author.

Grade 5-9 - This new edition of a title published in 1994 offers a comprehensive overview of life in the world's second largest country. Pang gives ample attention to all of the elements (historical, geographical, contemporary, and cultural) that combine to define Canada's national identity. The author explains why it is such a desirable place to live (e.g., geographic beauty, social programs) while objectively addressing some of the less positive features, such as the division between French and English Canada as well as the historical and contemporary difficulties of the Native peoples. There is excellent coverage of Canadian arts but no mention of the sport of curling (where Canada is traditionally dominant on the world scale) in the chapter on leisure. Curious, too, is the fact that all of the political leaders listed are members of the Liberal Party. Full-color photos appear throughout, and the maps are current and easy to read. A time line compares developments in Canada to events taking place in the rest of the world. This worthwhile addition stands equally well with Kristi Desaulniers's Canada (Chelsea, 2003) and Eric Braun's Canada in Pictures (Lerner, 2003). - Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
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