Peoples of the Americas (11 Volume Set)

Gray, Patrick

ISBN 10: 0761470506 ISBN 13: 9780761470502

Publisher: Cavendish Square, 1998

Synopsis

Book by Gray, Patrick

About this title

From Booklist:

This attractive and appealing set consists of slim volumes, approximately 60 pages each, that provide a country-by-country look at both indigenous peoples and immigrant groups that have settled in various regions of the Americas. Ranging from the Falkland Islands to Greenland, and considering groups that might have been present as long as 30,000 years ago through present day, this set presents an accessible ethnological approach to research for its intended audience, students in upper elementary grades and up.

Entries range from a minimum two-page spread (Cayman Islands, Montserrat) through 50 pages on Canada and more than 70 on the U.S. Each entry features a full-color relief map; an additional continent or regional map; an introduction that covers landscape, climate, and a general history; and a look at various ethnic groups, considering their religion, myths and rituals, houses and homes, clothing and adornments, language, health and education, food and drink, family life, social life, arts and crafts, and music and dance. For indigenous groups there is additional information regarding challenges to their lifestyles exerted by external influences. Larger countries are examined region by region, smaller countries as a whole. Pronunciations are provided for terms that may be unfamiliar.

Numerous color and black-and-white photos are sprinkled throughout the text, all featuring captions. Boxed inserts provide facts and figures (status, cities, population, currency, etc.), climate, and a time line. Longer entries also highlight unique practices, people, or events ("Months in the Cree Calendar," "Gauchos: Cowboys of Argentina," "The Great Gretzky").

Each volume has its own glossary, index, and lists of books for further reading. These volume-specific lists feature titles published in the 1980s and 1990s and include basic texts that would be found in most school and public library collections, such as Marshall Cavendish's Cultures of the World series and similar titles from Chelsea House and Children's Press.

What really makes this reference stand out is volume 11, the index volume, which begins with a comprehensive bibliography. The first section of the bibliography is an annotated list (summary, genre, style, age designation) of 30 fiction titles by authors such as Michael Dorris and Walter Dean Myers, followed by a section of nonfiction titles on individual countries. The next section is a pronunciation guide arranged alphabetically by country, which presents terms encountered in the text--Kiowa, kivas, Kwanzaa, for example. The "National Days" section first considers national holidays country by country, then lists them chronologically by month. This is followed by nine separate indexes. There are a biographical index, a geographic index, and an "Arts of the Americas" index. Artists, individual works, and broad terms such as movies, theater, sculpture, and weaving, as well as specialized terms such as reggae, calypso, and the Group of Seven, are referenced here. Next come a "Festivals of the Americas" guide, indexing general summaries as well as specific celebrations such as the Calgary Stampede and Eid ul Fitr (the feast marking the end of Ramadan); an index of "Foods of the Americas"; and indexes to "Peoples and Cultures" (ethnic groups, tribes, etc.); "Religions and Religious Ceremonies" (organized religions as well as such regional sects and orders as Amish and Rastafarians); "Sports and Games" (polo to cock fighting, and personalities such as Peleand Jim Thorpe); and, finally, a comprehensive index to the entire set.

The amount of information, logical organization, multiple access points, and attractive layout combine to create a reference tool that most school and public libraries will want in their collections. Much of this information can be culled from other resources, but this set's emphasis on ethnology will tie in nicely with curricula and texts that reflect a multicultural approach. Narrower in scope than Peoples of the World: Customs and Cultures [RBB O 1 98] but much better organized and more in tune with school and report assignments, Peoples of the Americas will complement standard sets such as Lands and Peoples [RBB Jl 97].

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-10-From the tiny island of Anguilla to vast Canada, this set examines the countries, territories, and colonies of North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. The 50 entries, arranged alphabetically by country, vary in length from 2 to 74 pages and focus on native, ethnic, and immigrant groups in these nations. Discussions center on their way of life; on their contributions, both cultural and political; and often, on their struggle for survival. Smoothly woven into these overviews are comments on history and social and economic issues. "Climate" bars, "Facts and Figures" boxes, sidebars, and time lines highlighted by colorful backgrounds accompany the text. Numerous full-color and black-and-white photographs and reproductions add to the visual and browsing appeal. Each volume concludes with an up-to-date list of titles for further reading and an individual index. Volume 11 boasts nine indexes (biographical, geographical, peoples and customs, etc.), a list of national days, and an extensive pronunciation guide of non-English words. This set is more attractive than Lands and Peoples (Grolier, 1999) and The World Book Encyclopedia of People and Places (World Book, 1997) but has a narrower scope. While it won't serve the needs of students looking for detailed geographical or economic information on a country, it will be useful where studies on native peoples are assigned.
Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cavendish Square
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0761470506
• ISBN 13: 9780761470502
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 648