Providing information on individual countries, the colorful books in the Social Studies Explorer series consider geography, climate, natural resources, history, education, government, religions, cultures, languages, sports, holidays, and foods. In each volume, one map shows the position of the featured country on the globe, while another map indicates its position within its region. Other illustrations, mainly color photos, are well chosen and attractive. The inclusion of a recipe and a craft is welcome, though these activities vary widely in degree of difficulty and in the adequacy of safety warnings. In some volumes, the overuse of questions and exclamation points detracts from the generally clear and informative texts. Democratic Republic of the Congo suggests adult assistance for using an X-Acto knife to make eyeholes in a cardboard mask but not for browning chicken in hot oil. On the other hand, this volume provides a succinct, up-to-date account of the country's history. Offering useful supplemental resources on countries, the series may be useful for larger libraries.