The latest addition to Carole P. Roman's series on different historical periods throughout the world focuses on the Mayan Empire. The opening spread juxtaposes a modern office building from the Yucatan Peninsula with a Mayan pyramid, which makes a great visual impression. The distinction of Mayans having the only written history among the ancient American societies is shared. A map shows the location of the major Mayan cities. And then the many details of life such as housing, clothing, religion, food, and occupations. Young readers will struggle with disbelief when they learn that parents worked hard to make their children cross-eyed, large-nosed, and pointy-headed! They will also probably resent that children had no choice but to follow in the same social class and occupation as their parents. The descriptions of Pok-ta-Tok ballgames will be met with more approval and enthusiasm.
Back matter includes a list of Mayan contributions to the world, a list of famous names from Mayan culture, and a glossary of terms. With the wide range of facts from different aspects of life during the time period, this will be a helpful book for classes studying ancient cultures.
A nice introduction to young readers who are curious about the past and important time periods and people. This series gives a broad overview of each period and location, and enough specifics to answer basic questions while also giving facts that can lead to further research.
I received a copy of the book from the author for review purposes.
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