The tradition of mazes and labyrinths hearkens back to ancient times, and a multitude of examples can be found throughout the world, made from a range of materials and serving a variety of purposes. This absorbing picture book travels to Western Europe, Africa and the Americas, detailing and illustrating the locations, construction and uses of the various mazes. Mazes discussed include the Egyptian Labyrinth, which was built of stone more than 2,000 years ago to cover funeral vaults; the tile mazes of France, which substituted for pilgrimages; the labyrinth patterns used on some Native American baskets and carvings, which convey mythological elements; and South Africa’s modern hedge maze, which features a cornucopia of plants and depicts local folktales. Lankford, maven of multicultural entertainments, surveys many historical and current examples and provides fascinating snippets of information on each one. Colorful illustrations depict the different mazes in action and highlight both differences and similarities. Includes an author’s note, mazes to unravel (with a finger rather than a pencil) and additional maze-related information. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)
