France, the Land

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

France is 14th nation featured in the long-running and ambitious Lands,
Peoples, and Cultures Series created by Bobbie Kalman. The large formats
are well organized and well illustrated with numerous color photographs
of varying sizes, often two per page. France is described as “a land
of many wonders,” one with great cities, majestic mountains, quiet
countryside, and long stretches of beaches.

The well-chosen photographs are impressive and should appeal to most
viewers. Sections in The Culture include folklore, religion and worship,
festivals, and fashion. Modern developments such as the European Union
and France’s membership in the European Space Agency (ESA) are touched
on briefly in The Land, along with weather and transportation. The
People includes such topics as food, sports, the Tour de France, and a
typical Sunday afternoon. Each book has a brief glossary and index.
These well-planned and soundly formatted books should serve as valuable
reference works for primary- and middle-school students.