A Street Through Time: A 12,000-Year Walk Through History

I really disliked this book. It's mostly a "look and find" style book, and on one page you are tasked with locating a "batch of slaves". You wouldn't refer to a "batch of people", only things. Enslaved people were not objects and should not be referred to like that. On another, you are looking for a woman with her child attempting to escape slavery, and another you're looking for piles of bodies. There are 83 facts listed in the global timeline at the end, and of them, there are three referring to the continent of Africa outside of Egypt. It included the founding of the first police station in London & the creation of the first cellular phone as an important facts, so I guess Africa just didn't have much going on according to the author. My child loves history books, and this is not one that I will allow him to use. We liked When On Earth from DK a lot more than this one.

Though the age recommendation for this book is 9-12, our son got this book when he was only 4 years old and it has remained one of his favorites. Now, nearly two and a half years after he got it, it was taken into school just this week by him as "something special to show the class." Adults as well as kids can learn a lot about history from this book. Each page is from a different period in time, supposedly on the same plot of land (presumably in Europe). It is a great springboard for exploring ANY historical time... and where it fits in with others. The illustrations are wonderful and search-and-find type information snippets written around the borders help bring some starting points for discussion. Couldn't recommend this book more!

This is not a history text; it will not give you factoids or dates. But it will enliven your appreciation of the passage of time and the continuity of human existence. This is a large but lightweight book. Each page is approximately 13 by 10 inches, and each of the fourteen depictions are shown in a two-page spread of about 26 inches by 10. The site depicted is an area near a waterway, presumably in the English midlands, and the eras shown are 10,000 BCE, showing a winter settlement of Stone Age hunters; 2000 BCE, an early farming settlement; 600 BCE, the Iron Age; AD 100, during Roman occupation; 600, after the collapse of Roman civilization to barbarian invaders; 900, after the Viking raids; 1200s, a medieval village; 1400s, a medieval town; 1500s, during the Bubonic Plague; 1600s, during a time of religious wars; 1700s, the Regency period; early 1800s, the beginning of industrialization; late 1800s, a thriving city; and finally, a modern city. In successive time periods we see objects and buildings from the last era in ruins or having been adapted for other uses. We see that some things never change (boating or imbibing, for example) while others change markedly (technology, cleanliness, etc.), and that to "progress" is not always to move forward. A fun book with lively cross-section watercolor drawings that will bring the concept of history to life, this book will lose some relevance for North American readers (who might also enjoy Gail Gibbons' FROM PATH TO HIGHWAY about the Boston Post Road through history), but it is still eminently worthwhile and enjoyable.

I've had to buy a second copy of this wonderful book for my 14 year old son. He was deeply distressed when, thinking he'd outgrown it, I'd passed our first copy on to his school. The recommended age range is far too narrow, for adults have enjoyed it as a coffee table book as much as six year old visitors who find the transformation of years magical. My own children were impressed that civilizations do not always progress forward -- "The Invaders" and "The Plague Strikes" gave them a more dynamic sense of history. The fine illustrations pull the reader in, the rendering of characters give each of them full personality and interest. My kids generally have very limited interest in non-fiction; this one remains a favorite of their collection.

"A Street Through Time" is a lovely, informative, child-friendly approach to history. My five year old adores it. We have probably read it 50 times. Great details, great jumping off spots for all kinds of different discussions with kids. I think the 9 - 12 age recommendation is too narrow. I think that inquisitive 4 and 5 year olds will love it too (and if they don't this year, they will soon!)

I originally bought this book for my older child, but my 4 year old son keeps this book glued to his side! I love the wonderful, detailed illustrations as well as the fascinating historical content. It brings to life the changes that occurred in a city in a way that words sometimes find hard to express, with a humor that children and adults alike will find charming. It has become one of my favorite books!