P is for Poland

4 stars - From Amber to Vistula, this book celebrates everything about Poland.

P is for Poland follows on the back of other successful titles for Prodeepta and publishers Frances Lincoln, who are hoping that kapliczka, makowiec, osceypek and wydmy and a big hit with children and their parents this Christmas.

Contains a weath of information about modern Poland and together with the well-chosen photographs may encourage even young pupils to want to learn more about Poland, her peoples and her history.

So how should we present other European countries to children in their literature? A recent agreeable example is Agnieszka Mrówczynska and Prodeepta Das' P is for Poland, an alphabet book illustrated by beautiful photographs of artefacts, people and scenes from Polish life - glowing amber, embroidered linen, children eating poppy cake and so forth. What is significant about this title which was commissioned by the publisher to be part of a series of alphabet books featuring different countries is their choice of author. Agnieszka Mrówczynska is Polish and although she now lives in England, she often visits her family in Poland. The young reader is thereby introduced to Poland by a book which is written from a genuinely Polish perspective and which takes pleasure in the richness and uniqueness of a particular culture.

The idea behind this book is very simple, but the attention to detail is exquisite. The photographic illustrations, which vary from close-ups of national dishes to historic monuments, have all been set in coloured frames and every page has its own unique decorative border and illuminated letter. The book's endpapers feature hand-embroidered folk art and the texture of the linen has been so beautifully rendered that you want to reach out and touch the pages. All in all this is a great little book. There is easily enough information to whet the appetite, and while the text has clearly been written with a young audience in mind, the author does not at any stage talk down to her readers.

A photographic alphabet that celebrates the things that Poles love best about their country, from amber to Chopin, the Nagietki flower to the Vistula River. A useful addition to the publisher's series of photographic introductions to countries.