I enjoyed parts of this book. I really like Atlas style books and this one had some interesting information. There was a lot of detail with each map and I liked the illustration style. I was a little confused by some of the facts though. I only deeply know US history but looking at the US portion, I was a bit confused about what was included and then in contrast what wasn't seen. 1763 & 1775 just don't seem that relevant when you see that there is little about indigenous people listed. Nothing is mentioned about the stock market crash/Great Depression, WW2 or Pearl Harbor. Nothing about the civil rights movement. I understand that there is a lot of history to consider for a small section. Not everything can be included but it felt like major events that would pop up on the top events in American history weren't there and thus, it left me wondering how accurate that section was for the other countries.

Nice picture book that would be a good gift for the older child that is curious about maps and geography.
There is A LOT of information on each page, which is both good and bad. It allows for a more diverse image of each country than the stereotypical standard. However, it can also feel slightly overwhelming and might not be for more sensitive children that quickly get overstimulated.
Nice illustrations and I appreciate the intro where it was stated that countries are not static but fleible and everchanging - that they may come, change and be forgottten.

One major critique is that Norway, Denmark and Sweden are all lumped into one overarching category called "Scandinavia". I understand that the benefit of keeping the book relatively short and digestible for children outweighs giving each country their own page. However, when other countries were described on the same page (e.g. UK and Ireland) they were still represented with their indidivual names in the title. Simply using the title "Scandinavia" gives the impression that Denmark, Sweden and Norway are all the same country, since this is what the title represents on (almost) all other pages. That was dissapointing to see as I was of course looking forward to seeing, how my own country - Denmark - would be presented.
Another comment: I find it quite bold to lump North and South Korea into one page and title it simply "Korea". It sends a political message that the two countries are - at the core - on and the same. Which is highly problematic considering current tensions between the countries.

I appreciate that the introduction mentioned that the land people are standing on was there long before it became known as a country. I wished the introduction went a step further to mention that people were there too before it was a country and that part of making land a country was to assert power over it which would often be to the detriment of the people who were native to that land and there first. I understand it's a kid's book, but there are age appropriate ways to do this. It feels like they took a step in that direction but then decided to not follow through on the whole thought.

They seem to have a pretty good variety of countries across the world which is good to represent from several different continents and areas.

I have mixed feelings on the country page layouts. On one hand, I enjoy the amount of icons and information, but on the other hand it makes the page look chaotic and a bit visually overwhelming. I think it's a good approach but that it needs more balance.

Lots of good information and good ideas on approach, but I don't think some of those good ideas were followed through all the way.

We love an atlas. We love a thoroughly engaging atlas even more! This great new non-fiction release from Wide Eyed Editions is colourful, engaging and absolutely brimming with fabulous facts.

With a wealth of knowledge on every page, sections for each country include:
Welcome Box – a general introduction to the country pictured.
A timeline – summarising the history of the chosen nation
People of Note – five inspiring members of the population. eg India: Mahatma Ghandi led India to independence from British rule
Country Icons – eg Kenya: In the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, you can see the Earth’s crust moving!
Key facts – eg Greece: The National Flower of Greece is the Bears Breeches
Moments to Remember – eg UK: In 1928 women in the UK gained the same voting rights as men.
and a
Spotlights eg – The Queen of Sheba’s bath is in Ethiopia
- Indonesia is home to the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia arnoldii
- Barracuda Lake in the Philippines is warm in parts and cold in other


All of these gems and hundreds more can be found in this compendium which re imagines atlases for children and proves that the world of cartography is fun, engaging and exciting. Its rich and luxurious illustrations support the text perfectly and combined, they make the perfect introduction to the countries and the diverse tapestry of life within them for children age 7-10.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wide Eyed Editions for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Very cute illustrations and liked the facts and history of the included countries. Wish more countries were included! Will definitely get this for my kids to enjoy!

I got a copy of the older version of this book and the illustrations and format are still very pleasing to me, and in fact they still make my artist heart glad. Having said that, I did not give a very high rating for that previous version because there was a serious error for my country, I see that it still was not corrected in this latest version.. So to be honest, it made me doubt the facts for the other countries as well.

My kids enjoyed the older edition of this at the library so I was excited to see a new edition. This has more information and pictures/drawings. I will be grabbing a copy when it is published!

What a fun book!! As a kid, I would have devoured this book which has everything I ever wanted! Each page is set up in a similar manner, but have so much interesting information about that country. The table of contents is a map (which is cool) and the 50 countries included have the page numbers on it. The first page is a sample page which explains how each page is set up with the welcome box, spotlight of important facts, moments to remember in a timeline, chart of key details (capital, population, currency, language, motto, national bird, animal, and flower). There is also a glossary and index that are easy to use. As you turn each page, you travel the world and are immersed in the their history and the culture. Kids can read and explore this book on their own or can read with family to dream of travel to far away lands.
I would recommend this for any teacher, parent, or adult with elementary age children. It could open up a whole new world to explore.
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book has a really beautiful cover that caught my attention immediately. Really beautiful illustrations and information.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for this eCopy to review

We loved looking at 50 Maps of the World, the contents page map is very clear and the how to use this book page was super helpful.

The illustrations are fantastic and the facts really capture the essence of each country. The fact boxes are great as the key facts are right at your fingertips along with historical points of note and places of interest for each country

A good introduction to the different countries of the world

My little one loves this book. We started studying each country and city. Each city has interesting facts about it, as well as notable people from the cities. My 6 year old loves to learn new things, and is eager to keep going over this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really did not like it 👎🏼 I chose this book especially because I wanted to read more about countries in my continent(Africa) in a fun but interesting way but was disappointed by how little were mentioned. Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Statistically speaking, it is the largest waterfall in the world, was not given a mention either ! I would also like to note that it is PALESTINE the country. The one that was already inhabited by indigenous Palestinians before it was turned into the occupied land it is today. 🍉𓂆

I thank netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I am fascinated by maps, so when I saw this "fact-filled" map of the world, I knew I wanted to investigate. This is a fun, children's book that incorporates fun facts, people of interest, and various cultural and historic landmarks in a gorgeous layout. A few choices of facts and people included I found a little odd, but otherwise, this was a great way to learn about the various countries included.

Structure/formatting 2.5/5

I wish the map that showed where each country was located on the globe was clearer for each of the represented countries. The colors changed from page to page, so it was often difficult to discern where you were in the map due to scale. There were also several instances where the fact chart left a field blank because there was "no official bird" to fill in. Other countries had other non-bird animals listed, so it felt weird to have a blank field in the chart.

Thoroughness of research 2/5

It felt as if the book was directed towards American children with the people and facts that the book decided to highlight. I'm sure some of the countries had more important people and facts than the ones listed. With the number of World Cup wins listed as "moments to remember," I would have expected more soccer players to be listed among the notable people rather than actors and singers.

Storytelling 3.5/5

I enjoyed the layout of the maps and how there was something to find in each section of the page. There is a lot of fun art and information spread out across the map, and it makes for a very visually stimulating way to explore the maps.

Enjoyment 3/5

Prior Knowledge Needed 5/5

I don't really know what I expected, but this book left me feeling slightly disappointed and underwhelmed. I homeschool my son so I was excited to read these before purchasing hard copies. Unfortunately, they were visually overwhelming and difficult to read... and the overload of information really wasn't all that informative. The books were pretty but not right for what I was looking for.

I love this informative non-fiction book designed for children. After having returned from a trip to South America and Antarctica I happily read this book. This has a format similar to ‘The 50 States’ (May 2024) which I’ve also read. It covers 50 countries giving each two pages. There is an illustrated map that is full of fun information, facts, and mentions of notable people. Key facts are included like: capitol, population, largest cities, money, language spoken etc. There are also historical moments to remember. It obviously doesn’t cover every country in the world but hits the major ones you would expect. This is easily an auto purchase for my school library and I believe it will be very popular.

This book is such an educational book about the countries .Geography was not my best subject in school but this book taught me things I did not know.I loved the history that was included with the countries along with key facts .I thought the author did a great job on this book and it showed the author did the research.Thank you net galley for this book.

4.5
So much information, facts, and history on each of these selected 50 countries. I was sad that it didn't have Portugal, but it does have Brazil (although it's not the same, it does teach us a bit about Portugal's history and navigators.) Each double page (or country) chronologically describes the most important events from the start to today. Relevant personalities, monuments and locations, key facts about the population and capital, information on the type of money, and even fauna and flora. I love the artstyle and the design of the pages. It's very educational and useful.
Thank you publisher and netgalley for this e-arc.

I’m a sucker for geography as I studied Tourism years ago. I love facts and history about places and love reading these kinds of books. I did smile at the Netherlands page because some of the information is kind of interesting, and I as a Dutchie would not have thought about including it so I even learned something about my own country. This is an amazing book to teach my children more about the world!

While "50 Maps of the World" is geared toward children, I found it equally fascinating as an adult. The illustrations are amazing and fun to look at! Each country map that is shown includes a brief historical timeline, key people and features of the country, some important facts, and a brief overview of the country. Having completed world history many many moons ago, this is an awesome refresher for adults as they read through it with their kiddos!

This book is perfect for our homeschooling. I love how it's broken down into countires, it makes it super easy to do mini units for our Social Studies. It also gives some science and history facts that the kids love hearing and seeing the pictures

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC