April 1, 2014
Gr 3-5-Written to meet new standards that introduce ancient cultures in the early grades, these books share a common format: large, full-color photos and illustrations of artifacts or scenes of daily life in the culture. Each book's four chapters introduce the country's culture and describe its people's daily lives, major achievements, and eventual decline or conquest. Text is limited to a few sentences per page, providing ample space for the strongest element, the high-quality illustrative material. Captions provide nearly as much information as the text, and some ask questions to guide reading or elicit critical thinking. Each book includes a full-page map and retelling of the culture's creation story or important folklore. Although not exceptional, these books provide basic introductory information and a good visual history of each culture's material treasures, making them strong additional purchases for elementary schools.
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