Dominoes Around the World

Sad to say, I never really got the hang of dominoes when I was a kid. Generally wound up making imaginary trains out of them or building forts. Now that I'm a grandpa who delights in having his two little balls of energy visit, I am always searching for new ways to keep them occupied. Mary D. Lankford appears to have carved out a comfortable niche for herself doing books about activities "around the world". This book describes how to play dominoes in the traditional American fashion and as it is allegedly played in eight other nations. It is a fun book, despite Lankford's excursions into political correctness. She provides a surprisingly extensive history of the game, the pieces, fundamentals of the game and then the details or playing different variants. The publisher's description says the book is suitable for children in grades 1 - 6. In fact, Lankford's writing style is so clear and engaging and has such a nice rhythm, that I think it is suitable for pre-kindergarteners up through pre-teens. Her style is well suited for reading aloud. Old (and cranky) as I am, I enjoyed the book, finally learned the actual rules for playing dominoes and had a lot of fun with the grandkids. Can't ask for more than that. Jerry

Primary source materials blend with the author's own research in this assembly of domino games and facts from around the world. From puzzles to games which can be played alone, Dominoes Around the World packs in fun contrasts between games and other cultures' experiences.