World History & Geography
-- Curriculum Connections, 4/1/2009
DEMI. Genghis Khan. illus. by author. 64p. Marshall Cavendish. 2009. RTE $19.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-5547-9. LC 2008006001.
Gr 2-6–A reissue of the simply told, beautifully illustrated life of the legendary and ruthless Khan, who became the leader of Yakka Monguls at the age of nine and by the time of his death in 1227 was the “master of the largest empire ever created in the lifetime of one man.” B
RUMFORD, James. Chee-Lin: A Giraffe’s Journey. illus. by author. unpaged. map. CIP. Houghton. 2008. RTE $17. ISBN 978-0-618-71720-0. LC 2008001863.
Gr 1-4–Inspired by an early 15th-century Chinese painting, Rumford imagines the life story of Tweega, a giraffe captured by African hunters, then transported to Bengal and, finally, to China. The animal’s unusual tale and amazing journey, depicted in lush casein paintings and told in framed text set against ornate backgrounds, are an intriguing introduction to a time and place(s) very different from our own. B
SWAIN, Ruth Freeman. Underwear: What We Wear Down There. illus. by John O’Brien. 32p. chron. further reading. Holiday House. 2008. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1920-3. LC 2008004041.
Gr 2-5–From breechcloths to “new fabrics that will absorb perspiration,” Swain matter-of-factly lays bare the intriguing social history of undergarments, noting that it’s a topic “People have giggled about…for hundreds of years.” Droll watercolor-over-ink illustrations diffuse any modern-day embarrassment about the subject. B
WINTER, Jeanette. Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Harcourt. 2008. RTE $17. ISBN 978-0-15-206545-4. LC 2007034810.
K-Gr 4–A picture-book profile of the environmentalist who engaged local women in planting trees and started the Green Belt Movement in her homeland, Kenya. Evocative prose and folk-art-like paintings in subtle colors tell the inspiring story. B
Children of World War 2. www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2children/index.shtml. BBC. (Accessed 2/18/09).
Gr 2-4–Primary-source materials such as photos, posters, letters, and air-raid audio clips help paint a portrait of what wartime life was like for British children. Kids can click through a typical home, complete with Anderson shelter, shop for groceries with their ration book, and read about the children who evacuated to the countryside. W
