The Great Wall of China

This book combines historical facts with wonderful illustrations. A great way for children to learn about China's amazing Great Wall. I am reading it to my daughter as we learn about China and it is a great asset.

Actually, the"tale" is grim, but true. Workers were buried alive. Some on purpose. Those who refuse to learn from history are destined to repeat it. The point is whether or not you feel your child is ready to handle the harsher realities of history. Better to wait than to doctor it up to make it more palatable. All ethnic groups are guilty of atrocities of one sort or another. It's the human condition. That doesn't make one a racist. On the other hand, a book shouldn't be chosen solely on the basis of its artistic value either, but I find black and white drawings to be captivating. Garth Williams, for example, does a beautiful job of depicting the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. If there is a problem with the paper quality, take that up with the publisher. It's not the book's fault. :) Based on the excerpts and the reviews that I have read thus far, I'm giving the book the benefit of the doubt and 3 stars, only because I have to, and I hate to see a book maligned because of the boos and hisses for lack of political correctness. That's what textbooks are for.

Leonard Everett Fisher has created such a beautiful set of portraits of this ancient and mysterious culture. My elementary students laughed in delight of the rhythmical musings of the great emperor and were able to remain focused during the entire story. The story as written by Mr. Fisher lent itself to further discussions about the implications of building the Great Wall, including a cost-benefit analysis of the labor lost in constructing such a feat of wonder! I highly recommend this book to anyone for its illustrous drawings and the language chosen to convey this important part of human history.