Texas: A State of the Union

We all know Texas is huge, but did you know that the Lone Star State was its own country for awhile before being annexed by the United States (thus provoking the Mexican-American War)? This brief overview of Texas begins with geography, and smoothly transitions into a look at history, government, and industry, using slick graphics, historical documents, and solid video footage accompanied by a voice-over child narrator (a nice touch for the target audience of elementary schoolchildren). With all that room to roam, however, you have to wonder why half of the video is a commercial for Austin. Not only do we get a tour of the city, but also a detailed viewing of the capitol building (learning about its paint colors and "large spacious offices") and a visit to the University of Texas-Austin. Also, while Texas' "interesting and colorful heritage" is repeatedly touted, the video footage gives no clue that over 42% of its population is not white. Still, the non-Austin half of this video is useful enough to make this an optional purchase. The other titles in the State of the Union series are: California, Florida, New York and Virginia. Aud: E, I, J. (E. Gieschen)