The Roman city of Verbonia, like the subject of Macaulay's Cathedral (KR, 1973) is imaginary but typical, and as in Cathedral the author/artist follows its construction in a level, readable text and intriguing black and white drawings. Engineering, architectural and human details enliven a tour of the completed city -- the water supply and drainage system, the forum and central market, the homes of a merchant and a craftsman, the theatre, the public baths where citizens proceeded from a hot caldarium to a relaxing tepidarium to a dive into the frigidarium. There's an unobtrusive plug for planning -- which allowed for orderly change as Verbonia's population grew, and the complexity and variety of the city adds a different sort of interest from that of Macaulay's Caldecott honor book.
