This book does an excellent job of bringing the countries of North and South Korea to life for young children. Vivid photographs enhance the concise, large print text. The beginning chapters provide a history of Korea and discuss how that country was divided into two separate nations in 1948. Additional short chapters detail the Korean culture, economies and governments. A minor flaw is that the book contains a page with key facts about North Korea, but there is not a similar chart for South Korea. The descriptive language and colorful photos provide a great overview of the countries and are sure to stimulate further interest in the subjects. This book is one in the publisher's "True Books" series. 1999, Children's Press/Grolier, Ages 5 to 9, $21.50 and $6.95. Reviewer: Jeanne K. Pettenati