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The Pals Around the World series of books is designed to teach children about different countries in a simple and entertaining way. The first volume in the series educates students about France, covering some of the basic aspects of French geography, history, cuisine, and even some French vocabulary.
The book is narrated by a French girl Veronique - the “little French friend” of the title - who tells us about her life in France with her family, before going on to provide an overview of the major tourist attractions and historical sites in France. The book includes recipes, a simple map of France, and flash cards that can be used to learn some basic French vocabulary.
My Little French Friend is a solid and worthwhile effort designed to educate young people about France and French culture. Amusing illustrations on each page make the information accessible. However, the book falls short of being outstanding in several ways.
One big drawback is that historical information is not presented in chronological or other discernible pattern; thus, the book lacks continuity. For instance, the section on Joan of Arc immediately precedes pages on Toulouse-Lautrec, the game of soccer, the significance of Bastille Day, Voltaire, the Sun King, and the French Revolution - in that order. This makes for a confusing and odd sequence of events.
Sometimes, more obvious or relevant themes are skipped over in favor of relatively minor topics. Thus, the book is best suited for dipping into a page at random and reading it, rather than reading the entire book as a continuous narrative. Still, there is plenty of information in this short little volume to help students doing school projects or hoping to learn more about France.
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Usha Reynolds/2010 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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My Little French Friend (Pals Around the World, Volume 1)