Book Description

This book helps children understand the past through paintings, murals, sculpture, architecture, and everyday objects - much of it originally designed for placating the gods, bringing a successful harvest, observing traditions and rites, or increasing an individual's social standing. Each book is divided into thematic chapters such as how people lived, worked, socialized, fought wars, worshipped, and made new discoveries and conquests. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What About Those Knights.....
Kathy Tucker and Nick Sharratt have gotten together and authored a marvelous and creative picture book that tells you everything you ever wanted to know about knights, and more. Each chapter, written in joyful rhythmic verse and complemented with bright, busy, detailed artwork tells the reader a little more about the life of a knight. Find out how you get to be a knight in the first place, what he does for a living (fights bad princes and fiery dragons), what he wears, how he accessorizes and where he lives. Then, look into what bad princes and fiery dragons do that's so awful and how a knight fights and beats them. And finally discover the really important information, every would-be knight needs to know: Do knights get to eat candy, watch T.V. and take naps? Do Knights Take Naps? is a charming, witty and humorous book that's perfect for emerging readers and also makes a wonderful read aloud story the entire family will enjoy.

Fun to read out loud
My two year old son loves this book. It has well-drawn, colorful illustrations and rhyming text. The rhymes are musical enough that we've been reading it as a bedtime story for about two weeks, and though it's a little complex for a two year old, my son can "read" most of it to me. While it doesn't contain the blood and gore you'd usually associate with knights, it does have jousts, dragons, swords and flails - all presented in a non-frightening way - so it's perfect for bedtime adventure.

Buy this book and enjoy reading it out loud to your little ones. ... Read more

Book Description

A short history of life in 16th and 17th century England under the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, covering all of the important events that shaped England before, during and after the Renaissance.This includes Henry VIII's divorce and the establishment of the Church of England, and the colonisation of America.Over 90 colourful illustrations take you on a voyage of discovery from the daily lives of ordinary people to Sir Francis Drake's adventures on the high seas. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the realities of life in Victorian times, when the British Empire was at its peak.The Victorian period was an age of great contrasts, and of major social and political changes.Over 90 beautifully produced illustrations of the period show what life was really like for rich and poor alike, from development of the railways to medical advances and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A book for all kinds of readers
As part of the World History Series, The Renaissance book is appealing to both the first-time learner for its short and accessible overviews but also to the scholar yearning for more detailed insights in the boxed inserts. The appeal and accessibility can be attributed to the format or structure of the book, which is divided into several one or two page subsections. The book can be opened on any page and invite reading in a new section. Many primary sources are used, which greatly surprized me since it is a short book. Black and white illustrations are detailed and appealing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Biography
This book is not only an excellent biography of a gifted man, but it also contains valuable information about the world in which he lived. Beautiful color illustrations add to the easy readability of this resource. Excellent resource for a wide range of studies. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good, but probably not thorough
This biography over da Vinci follows a pattern of other books in the "In World History" series. The chapters flow nicely from information on the Renaissance in general and cutlure into which da Vinci was born, to other artists, scientists, and philosophies of the time, to the decline of the Renaissance and Italy's greatness. Also included are a timeline of da Vinci's life, an index, and a collection of further readings and websites for reference. Throughout the text are quotes and segments of source documents, as well as many photographs and drawings in black and white. One criticism of the writing is that periodically the facts included seem random and the wording is awkward in places. However, the book is interesting and not too much for a reluctant student to digest. Some works of art are discussed in more detail, such as the Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and the Bronze Horse. The book is also very educationally oriented, not taking one side or another in controversial topics and including paintings and sculptures which do not reveal too much of the naked human body (Michelangelo's David shows only the upper portion). Overall, this is a good resource for a beginning researcher. ... Read more