cover image Flags of the World

Flags of the World

Sylvie Bednar, . . Abrams, $19.95 (187pp) ISBN 978-0-8109-8010-5

The vibrant flag images included in this flag-shaped, coffee-table–appropriate book are treated as works of art in and of themselves, with many taking up a full page (spot art depicts native peoples, sites and animals). The symbolic components of each flag are analyzed (the flag for Papua New Guinea features a yellow bird found nowhere else in the world), and statistical, sociological and geographical information is given for each country. Flag aficionados and students of geography should appreciate the attention paid to each stylized form. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)