Both amusing and fairly edifying.
A new atlas for a new generation.
Trivia and cartography lovers should prepare for an explosion of facts and geography as they armchair-travel through 50 different countries. Sprinkled liberally across each page is a plethora of notable moments, monuments, people who lived in that region, and key facts. The opening pages remind readers that borders are intangible and can also be ephemeral—countries have expanded, disappeared, and changed throughout history—and trivia in the book is based on geography rather than country name. For example, the remains of humankind’s evolutionary ancestor “Lucy” were found in Ethiopia—but she wasn’t an Ethiopian. It’s a subtle but important point. Snippets of text printed in a small font pack in a lot of information, and a world map on each spread helps situate geographic locations. The diversity of noteworthy people overall is wonderful, but while the occasional White person appears in some African, Asian, and South American countries, the all-White cast of Europeans does not reflect that continent’s diversity. Indigenous nations in the United States and Canada are represented by Sacagawea. Those disappointments aside, the book is an engaging read for nonfiction fans. A final game challenges readers to find various symbols, inspiring a second read (and a second chance to learn a little more). (This book was reviewed digitally with 13.4-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 81.4 % of actual size.)
Both amusing and fairly edifying. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-78603-640-7
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An entertaining introduction to ancient Rome with kid-friendly humor that may make those convinced that history is boring...
Published by Time Corp in the year 2163, this guidebook contains all the vital information needed for the intrepid traveler wishing to go back 2,100 years and partake of gladiatorial matches, Roman legions battling barbarian hordes, and a fight to the death between two captive armies at the Circus Maximus.
Depending on which Time Corp package is chosen, one can watch Cicero’s head get chopped off and displayed in the Forum or enjoy a weekend retreat in Pompeii before seeing it incinerated by a volcano. Accommodations are rated on availability of such amenities as horse parking and bales of hay for donkeys. Crassus, Hannibal, and Spartacus are recommended as interesting lunch companions. The best vantage points for witnessing Julius Caesar’s assassination are cited. There is practical advice on how to avoid being poisoned, beheaded, or torn apart by an angry mob. Factual information embedded in the jokey fictional narrative, often in sidebars, offers some interesting insights into the culture, economics, fashion, history, law, and politics of ancient Rome, but most of the information imparted tends toward the sensational. Among the historical figures introduced are Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Pompey. Amplifying the conceit are ratings pages for the various attractions and accommodations; the Vesuvius Inn does not accept food for barter but does accept plunder, while reviewers of the Coliseum complain of insufficient violence.
An entertaining introduction to ancient Rome with kid-friendly humor that may make those convinced that history is boring reconsider. (bibliography) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47960-0
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 29, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An entertaining introduction to America’s War for Independence conveyed with enough kid-friendly humor that it may make...
Like The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome (2017), this 22nd-century publication by Time Corp gives those would-be time travelers wanting to partake of the American Revolution plenty of useful information to prepare for the trip.
There is practical information on appropriate period dress, how to fire a musket, what to do if you are shot by one, and how to survive a stint in the Continental Army. You learn that men started wearing powdered wigs in the 1600s to cover up the lost patches of hair and bloody sores caused by syphilis. Poorly rated accommodations include the HMS Jersey prison ship and Valley Forge. Recommended as interesting lunch companions are African-American patriot Salem Poor, white teenage soldier John Greenwood, enslaved African poet Phillis Wheatley, and Benjamin Franklin. The factual information embedded in the jokey fictional narrative offers some interesting insights into the causes of the American Revolution, notable figures, pivotal battles, and strategies and tactics. Among the historical figures introduced are Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton, John Paul Jones, Henry Knox, Paul Revere and, of course, George Washington.
An entertaining introduction to America’s War for Independence conveyed with enough kid-friendly humor that it may make those who dismiss history as a bore reconsider. (bibliography, maps) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-101-99811-3
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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