The Hammond World Atlas Corporation, part of the Langenscheidt publishing, produces more than three dozen atlases. I've reviewed three of their most popular and affordable atlases, for you to consider for your library.
1) Hammond Concise Atlas of World History - 6th Edition
The 6th ed. (2001) of this popular historical atlas contains 151 pages of maps and text about all aspects of the geopolitical history of the world. However, the first 135 pages are exactly the same as the 3rd ed. (1992). On page 136, the atlas gives us fresh new maps. If you need a historical atlas or have a previous version and want an update for the 1990s, buy this one!
2) My First Atlas
Designed for kids 4-8, this colorful atlas provides a basic understanding of the world but may also be a bit confusing. Place names of countries and cities are in all capital letters. Thus, Seattle appears to be the name of Washington state and Jerusalem seems to be the name of Israel. Nonetheless, the atlas provides interesting geographical facts for kids and appears to be a good first atlas.
3) Hammond Concise World Atlas
Although this atlas is a tad large 12.5" by almost 10," it contains an excellent set of relief maps covering the world. The coverage of Europe and North America is outstanding. It's a modern atlas that shows major highways and contains excellent coverage of major cities (especially in the US). Affordable and concise, this atlas includes the facts, data and place names you'll need most.
