Come Out and Play

Several picture books offer glimpses of diverse cultures. Each of the photos in Come Out and Play by Maya Ajmera and John Ivanko speaks volumes about what life is like in various countries. The sentence, ""To play means swinging and jumping and running and climbing,"" covers two spreads and accompanies photos of a child gliding in what appears to be a metal bucket on a brightly colored swing set in Egypt, a child in button-down shirt and tie swinging on a rope in Nepal and children racing barefoot in Nicaragua with their village in the background. More exotic games (such as bao in Ethiopia or catch-the-wolf in Canada) are also featured. ( Feb.)