January 22, 2002

HERE is a series of five children’s encyclopedia written and illustrated in Urdu. The subjects covered are the human body, lifestyles of people, plants and animals, the planet earth and science and technology. Between them these volumes provide comprehensive information to the young reader on all major questions he could come up with.

The Mera jism looks into the wonders of the human body. The diagrammatic and annotated representation of the body explains its anatomy which is followed by an account of its functioning and the various senses, coupled with practical experiments. There are chapters on the skin describing the structure of this organ — its various layers and the uniqueness of the fingerprints as well as facts such as the length of the longest hair — on nutrition explaining how the body structure changes with age, illnesses and sickness with a final piece of advice regarding the composition of a balanced diet.

The volume Log aur muqamat discusses the family tree, the diversity of the people, and the different kinds of dwellings people live in e.g. mud houses in South Africa, brick houses in Scotland, etc. There is an account of the basic infrastructure and facilities of a city such as schools, hospitals, and cinemas.

There is a chapter dealing with different professions in the world, the various ways in which people relax (inclusive of games from Iran and Botswana), their food (pizza, fish), their customs and religions (Judaism, Christianity), the lifestyles of children (narrated by Fatima from Turkey, Kathleen from Ireland), songs and dances (and certain musical instruments), dramatics as a form of communication and expression, and a host of other issues.

Janwar aur pauday outlines the concept of the food chain, nutrition in plants and their variety, the diversity of species and the history of the origin of organisms. There is a chapter on dinosaurs and a descriptive chapter on the richness of the earth’s surface and its importance in supporting life via forests, jungles, grasslands, deserts and oceans as a medium of sustenance. Another chapter talks of how the northern regions of the world differ in the kind of life they support. Finally this volume concludes with an emphasis on the endangered species and a comment on WWF’s fight against the extinction of such species.

Zameen aur kainat gives a detailed map of the world with the names of various regions. There is a chapter on volcanoes, earthquakes and the formation of the topography of the earth ‘s surface and different seasons. Other chapters focus on the production of snow and rainfall and the medley of minerals. The dangers faced by the earth are profiled including the greenhouse warming and the hazards of acid rain. The structure of the sun is described; the different phases in the cycle of the moon, the names of the planets, the creation of stars and the developments in space exploration are discussed in some detail.

The final book Science aur technology sketches the basic concepts such as the state of matter, the atom as the basic element, and the formation of iron and wool. There is a two-page discussion on the strength of buildings and how it is achieved with particular references to the skyscrapers. There is a focus on the need for energy in the universal context as well as the various forms of energy. The working of machines and the scientific principles of light, sound, electricity and computers constitute a large chunk of this volume.

This is an excellent series which children should find interesting and informative. The topics are all of an absorbing nature and the practical experiments and activities suggested make these encyclopaedia exciting. These volumes should be a useful possession for children of the age around 12 years. Therefore the Urdu is basic apart form the scientific terms used, the detail in which each topic is discussed is far from befuddling and there is a list of definitions at the end of each book to facilitate reading for children.

 

Mera jism

ISBN 0-19-579427-3

24pp. Rs50



 

Log aur muqamat

ISBN 0-19-579430-3

28pp. Rs50



 

Janwar aur pauday

ISBN 0-19-579428-1

28pp. Rs50



 

Zameen aur kainat

ISBN 0-19-579431-1

28pp. Rs50



 

Science aur technology

ISBN 0-19-579429-X

28pp. Rs50



 

Oxford University Press,

5 Bangalore Town, Sharae Faisal, Karachi-75350 Tel: 021-4529025.

Email: ouppak@theoffice.net

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)