TINY TRAVELERS COLOMBIA TREASURE QUEST

In this new addition to the Tiny Travelers series, young readers learn a few facts about Colombia.

Following the same format as previous books in the series, the book begins with a map of the country adorned with objects readers are asked to look for on subsequent pages. Busy and brightly colored illustrations depict each locale with a cast of racially diverse children. Readers travel to Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Ciudad Perdida on the northern Caribbean Coast; pass through Bahía Solano on the Pacific Coast and down to the Amazon region in the south; visit the cities of Bogotá, Medellín, and Manizales in the Andes; and see natural wonders, such as the Tatacoa Desert and Caño Cristales. In each locale a small fact is given, and a “Did You Know?” section provides more details. Words in Spanish are in bold print. Unfortunately, a few facts are wrong. Contrary to what is stated, Bogotá is not in a valley and is not surrounded by mountains. (Mountains border its eastern edge, and the land opens up to a vast plateau known as the Bogotá savanna.) Caño Cristales is not called “the River of Seven Colors” but “the River of Five Colors.” (This review has been updated for factual accuracy.)

An attractive book marred by factual mistakes.